


Out of the Ashes: A Sequel to Flames of the Feeonix I

by chatteringmagpie



Series: Out of the Ashes [1]
Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Canon-Typical Violence, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking to Cope, During Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Interspecies Romance, Past Rape/Non-con, People as Lost Causes, Platonic Cuddling, Psychological Trauma, Rape Aftermath, References to Depression, Romantic Fluff, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 86,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatteringmagpie/pseuds/chatteringmagpie
Summary: Isolated, depressed and drinking heavily, Naseema has not handled Data's death well. Can Elnor, champion of lost causes, save her from herself before it's too late?
Relationships: Elnor & Jean-Luc Picard, Elnor (Star Trek) & Original Character(s), Elnor (Star Trek)/Original Character(s)
Series: Out of the Ashes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799515
Comments: 28
Kudos: 4





	1. The Artifact

He watched the light fade from Hugh’s eyes and stayed there with his body for a few minutes afterward, still holding his hand. It was his fault. He was foolish enough to believe the Zhat Vash woman would fight honourably, but she'd taken advantage of his naivety and murdered his friend. Hugh’s blood was still on his hands. He knew he needed to find somewhere to hide, some way to get away from this terrible place. He had wanted to help save the ex-bs from being slaughtered by the Tal Shiar, but he was in way over his head, and now Hugh was gone. He was alone, and he was afraid.

He found his way back to Hugh’s office and curled up in a dark corner. The Fenris Ranger SOS card clutched in his palm as he prayed for deliverance. He didn’t know how long he’d been on the cube. It was dark and labyrinthine. There was no way for him to keep track of time, but he was hungry, and his throat was parched. He didn’t know what to do except wait for a rescue he wasn’t sure would come in time or even at all. He didn’t want to die here in this cold, unwelcoming place. All alone and far away from anything familiar.

Suddenly, he heard the door to Hugh’s office open. He drew his _tan qalanq_ and moved out into the open, presenting himself just as his enemies wanted him to. Something clattered along the floor towards him. He took a step back as the object came to a stop, and a bright flash of light exploded from it completely blinding him. He instinctively brought his free hand up to shield his eyes, and he felt the SOS card fall from his grasp. The first silhouette through the door was joined by several others, and they were on him. The initial blow knocked him backward. He blocked the second assault quickly enough, but these foes were organized. They knew how to attack as a group. Every move he made was immediately countered. They had not just stumbled onto his hiding place. They knew he was Qowat Milat, and they had been sent specifically for him.

He fought back as only someone who is truly fighting for their life does. He connected with fists, feet, and elbows. His mind worked quickly in a fight, and he noticed not a single one of his enemies had drawn a disruptor. He realized they wanted information from him. Information he would not surrender. His tactics became more desperate, almost frantic. He held his own until the idea of torture squirmed into his mind. Now, he was losing his edge and starting to panic. He lashed out with his _tan qalanq_ , but his target was ready for him. They skillfully dodged his thrust. A sharp fist came down on his wrist, and he dropped his weapon. He blocked the next attack, but the third caught him across his face. He lashed out again but missed, and then there were hands on him, shoving him backward. He felt his back hit a wall. Another blow against his jaw before he ducked down, grabbed his opponent's arm and twisted it back. He braced his foot against the wall and launching his body over his opponent's head. He tried to yank them forcefully to the floor, but his attacker brought him down. Now, he was on his back and vulnerable. He flailed as they pulled his arms over his head and lashed his wrists together. They hauled him to his feet as he struggled against them, but it was fruitless. He was caught.

From the instant, she set foot on this cube it was obvious the place was in upheaval. The centurions were in tight, heavily armed groups. They were all exhibiting behaviour consistent with a highly tense, borderline chaotic situation. The android child she had come to find was lost somewhere in this mess and was likely the cause of the overt military action. If the Romulans had discovered what Soji was, a synthetic life form unwittingly masquerading as a human, it would certainly provoke a reaction like this. She had come here with the expressed purpose of finding Soji and bringing her home, but she worried now that she was too late.

_She also hadn’t expected to find what she was looking at now._

From the shadows, she watched him put up a hell of a fight, but he was outnumbered, and the Tal Shiar were ready for him. She winced as he was thrown to the floor and quickly swarmed by his attackers. He was only a boy. He couldn't be any older than twenty. His wrists were bound, he appeared to have been beaten, and the expression in his eyes was nothing short of terrified. He didn't look like the other Romulans either. His clothes were different, and she could see what looked like a scabbard on his back.

_What organic would be crazy enough to come to a place like this armed with only a sword? He looked like an assassin, but who had he come here to assassinate?_

The leader of the small squadron brought his fist hard across the boy's face. "Where is Picard?!" was the demand, but the captive remained composed, and said nothing.

_Picard? As in Jean-Luc Picard? That was a name she hadn’t heard in decades._

“No answer?” the leader sneered. “Suit yourself, Qowat Milat. The Colonel will get it out of you.”

_She knew her Tal Shiar enemy well enough to know they meant to torture their captive, and she knew herself well enough to know she wasn't going to allow that to happen._

The stranger came out of nowhere and melted out of the blackness like a Demogorgon. His captors pulled their sidearms and opened fire. He forced himself to watch and was astounded as the stranger stood her ground, unfazed by each disruptor blast. After firing several shots each, the Tal Shiar realized their weapons were having no effect and stopped shooting. They looked at each other completely at a loss for their next move.

“Release the boy to me and leave," she said in Romulan, but nobody moved. The eerie standoff went on for what felt like an eternity until somebody whispered,

“Feeonix.”

_He had heard of the Feeonix before. Picard told him about them. About one in particular, when he was a child. Her name was Naseema, and she loved the android, Data._

Remaining motionless, she looked right into the boy's eyes, and as he stared back, he felt a strange calm come over him. He’d never seen eyes like hers before. Dark blue and enormous, there was a fiery orange ring around each of her irises that seemed to glow in the dark room. The stranger gave him a single nod, and he watched in amazement as the orange rings flared out, and filled her eyes with light.

Armed with a double-bladed quarterstaff, she exploded into action. She moved almost too fast to see, but he seized the opportunity as the woman on his left moved on him with his _tan qalanq._ He brought his hands up and twisted them to catch the blade between his palms. It sliced through the binding at his wrists, and the instant they were free, he used his elbow to fling it from her grasp. Elbow again, back into her face. Hard kick to the man on his right. A spin to bring his foot down into the skull of the last of his captors. Now, crouched on one knee, he looked up wide-eyed at the stranger who rescued him.

“Your reaction time is impressive," she said as her eyes turned blue again. Then she asked, “Are you alright?” Overwhelmed with gratitude, he was unable to answer her with words. He instead sprang to his feet and threw his arms around her. He hugged her tightly, buried his face in her hair, and almost lifted her off the ground.

She was startled at first. It was a very un-Romulan reaction. She almost expected him to stick a knife in her back, but his gratitude seemed genuine. She didn't even know the boy's name, and it had been a very long time since she had accepted physical contact like this from anyone, but she allowed him to hold onto her and gently patted his back to soothe him.

After several seconds of clutching her, he released her. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“You are welcome, but we cannot stay here,” she replied. “Once this lot fails to report, there will certainly be more.” He nodded and returned his _tan qalanq_ to its scabbard. He glanced around the room now painted green, and at the eviscerated bodies that littered the floor before following her down the corridor.

“Are you a Feeonix?" he asked, and she nodded.

“I heard them ask you where Picard is,” she said. “Were they referring to Jean-Luc Picard?”

He stopped walking and stared at her. “Do you know Picard?”

She also stopped moving and looked back at him as a rueful expression crossed her face. “A very long time ago.”

“My blade is bound to his cause,” he said.

She started down the hallway again. “And what cause would that be?”

“To rescue the android girl, Soji,” he replied.

She halted abruptly as the name left his lips. She spun around and grabbed his arm, hard. She looked into his eyes with frightening urgency. “Do you know where she is?”

“They escaped,” he told her and unable to help himself he asked, “Did you know Naseema?”

She searched his face for a second before dropping her eyes. “No.”

He knew she was lying, and this time he grabbed her arm. There was a flicker of anger in her eyes, but he didn't let go. "Who are you," he demanded. "If you want my help, tell me the truth."

Her expression hardened, and she yanked her arm from his grasp. "I do not need your help, and if you want a ride off this death house, I suggest you keep up." She stalked away from him, and he called after her,

“You _are_ Naseema, aren’t you?”

Without turning around, she replied, “Are you coming or not?”

He immediately followed her, and once he caught up, she continued, "If you are truthful and Picard did, in fact, escape with Soji, there is somewhere I must be."

“I wouldn’t know how to tell a lie even if I wanted to,” he said. "Soji did escape with Picard."

She paused for a second and took in the young Romulan with his long hair, his simple clothes, and his wide-eyed innocence.

_She had an acrimonious relationship with most others of his kind. She had been the one to negotiate the first treaty between the Federation and the Romulan Empire. She spent the decades that followed as the face of Feeonix. The Federation’s ultimate weapon against hostile incursion. The Romulans hated her, but more importantly, they feared her. She suspected that fear had eventually driven them to action. The Feeonix had nearly been wiped out by the attack on Mars. Its burning atmosphere poisoning the Feeon nebula, leaving only a handful of her kind left. It remained unproven, but she and the others were convinced the Romulans were responsible for that attack. Perhaps they hadn't been the primary target, but their destruction was an advantageous side effect. She knew her family would believe her insane to rescue a Romulan from other Romulans. It seemed like an obvious trap, but somehow she knew this was the furthest thing from that. This boy seemed completely unaware of the history between their respective peoples, and so far, he didn’t exhibit any of the traits she’d come to expect of most other Romulans. Primarily, arrogance and duplicity. This young warrior triggered no internal alarms. She detected no ulterior agenda, no deceit. She was sure he was as honest as he was fresh-faced. She’d known him less than an hour, and she still didn't know his name, but she couldn’t help being reminded of her past. This boy needed her help, and something told her their meeting may not be accidental happenstance._

“What should I call you?” she finally asked.

“Elnor,” he replied.

“Well, _Elnor_ ,” she said, “How about we get out of this terrible place.”

“We need to get to the Queen’s cell,” he said. “The Tal Shiar are murdering all the Borg here. We have to stop them.”

“What is it you believe I can do?” she asked, looking at him like he was more than a few bricks short.

“You’re immune to their disruptors,” he insisted. “You are fast and strong. You can help me stop them.”

She took a step back. “Are you crazy? Do you have any idea how many armed soldiers there are here? We cannot fight them all with a sword and a staff!”

He glared at her with frustration. “Picard told me you have powers. You can use them to help us win!”

She looked at him sideways. “I do not know what you were told, but my powers are strong and very difficult to control. I cannot simply snap my fingers and make it happen like some asshole deity."

“Well, what _can_ you do?” he demanded.

"I can incinerate this entire cube and everyone on it, including you, and the ex-borg you want to save,” she snapped. “Is that what you wish me to do?”

“No.”

The look of sour defeat on his face made her feel bad. "Look, Elnor, I am very sorry about your Borg friends, but I cannot get involved in this. I need to be somewhere else to stop an entirely different slaughter. My mission here is moot now, and I have to leave. I will take you with me, but we must go immediately."

"A Fenris Ranger is coming," he pushed. “I activated the SOS. If we just wait-”

“I am not waiting for anything,” she bluntly replied before continuing down the hallway.

Suddenly three Tal Shiar operatives came through a disguised passageway, but she cut them down before they even had a chance to yell _Halt_! She turned back around to face Elnor.

“They will not stop coming,” she told him. “If you wish to wait for your ranger that is your choice, but you should be aware they are stretched pretty thin. I would not hold my breath if I were you."

He watched her walk away, and his stomach growled.

_What if she was right? What if he had to wait for hours or even days longer? The ex-bs would all be dead by then. What if nobody showed up at all? He had no guarantees that it would be Seven of Nine either, and there would be no way to take control of the Artifact without an ex-b. The Feeonix was offering him a chance to get out of here. He had refused his last opportunity to do that and look what happened. He would be a fool to stay, and he knew it._

“Wait!”

She paused and let him catch up. “Look," she said. "I know that was not an easy decision for you to make, but you made the right one. They would have found you eventually, and they would not have given you a quick death."

_He knew she was right, but he still felt guilty for wanting to leave with her._

He kept close to her as she wove her way through the maze of chambers and corridors, ducking into shadows to avoid being seen by others, Romulan or otherwise. The frenzy of activity made it clear they had not been forgotten by the Tal Shiar. She led the way to a dark, musty smelling part of the cube. By all outward appearances, it was a completely abandoned area. Elnor stayed within inches of her, silently mirroring her footsteps all the way. As they neared their destination, she abruptly stopped in her tracks. He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed her finger to his lips, and he remained silent. He watched her stand perfectly still, poised and alert, for a few brief seconds before she whispered,

“We are being followed.”

Elnor's eyes widened, and he scanned the blackness for any movement. He listened for any trace of footsteps or someone breathing, but all he could hear was the almost inaudible sound of the ventilation system. The Feeonix put her hand against his chest, an indication for him to stay where he was as she stepped out of the shadows into the sickly green glow. She slunk away from him, melted into the blackness again, and then came the sounds of fists on flesh. He strained his eyes to see what was happening, but he could only make out two shadows struggling with each other. Then those shadows spilled back into the light, and he could finally see her wrestling with an enormous Romulan man more than twice his size. He had her by the throat and lifted her clear off the ground before he slammed her into the wall.

Elnor drew his _tan qalanq,_ and his peripheral vision caught someone move behind him. He stayed hidden in the shadows and disappeared into the open framework above him. Three more operatives descended on his hiding place, but by the time they realized he was gone, it was too late for them. He dropped down at their backs, and with a few precise strokes, they were no longer a threat.

She continued to grapple with the giant and exchanged repeated assaults with him. She pulled a small curved knife from a hidden sheath, but the man moved fast for his size and caught her wrist. He twisted until she dropped the weapon.

“Please, my friend, choose to live,” Elnor told the big Romulan as he raised his sword in a defensive posture. No sooner were the words out of his mouth when someone else attacked him from behind. A hard blow to the back of his head. He went down on his knees, and his sword skidded away from him. Another vicious strike to his ribs, and he heard a crack as white-hot pain shot through his body. He rolled and raised his hips off the ground to pivot on his shoulders. He swung his legs around to catch his attacker’s knees. He grabbed his _tan qalanq_ and leapt to his feet to meet his attacker face to face. They circled each other, and the operative made a move for his disruptor, but Elnor was faster and disarmed him before he severed his carotid artery.

He returned to aid his new friend but only had time to witness the big man grab her around the neck, and pound her into the wall again. He held her off the ground, pulled his own knife, and drove it into her, all the way to the hilt. The Feeonix howled with pain and rage. Elnor attacked, but the giant swung his elbow out and connected. He threw Elnor into the opposite wall. The young Romulan scrambled to his feet as she dug her thumbs into the big man’s eyes. He tightened his grip around her neck, and she started to gasp. The air around her began to crackle as the orange light came back, and then she erupted into white and blue flames. Elnor watched in horror as the giant man was engulfed by the ghostly fire. Completely ablaze, the man screamed in agony, locked in the Feeonix’s grip. Elnor could only stare, mouth agape as the screams rang in his ears. The enormous beast of a man turned to ash right before his eyes. She released her hold, and he crumbled to a pile of chalky dust as she slid back to the floor.

She winced as she pulled the knife from her body and tossed it aside. "We must go," she said, but her companion didn't respond. "Elnor," she repeated. "Elnor, we must leave, or there will be others.”

He nodded slightly but was paralyzed by what he just witnessed and unable to move.

She took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. “I know you are frightened,” she told him. “But we are injured, and we need to leave _now!_ ”

He blinked a few times and nodded again. She took his hand and quickened her gait until they were almost running. He remained silent and compliant as she released the door to the airlock and pushed him inside. She directed him into a seat in the tiny craft and wasted no time with their retreat. Her vessel possessed a phasing cloak and, she easily evaded the fury of warbirds that swarmed around the cube. Once they were clear, she slipped the ship into subspace and put the autopilot on. Then she got out of her chair to tend to her new companion.


	2. The Feeonix

Kneeling in front of him, she looked into his eyes, and the distress in them was obvious. “Elnor, I am sorry you had to see that.”

He paused for a second or two beforehand but nodded. “Why is it so cold in here?” he quietly asked.

“You are in shock,” she told him. She reached across the cabin and grabbed a blanket from a small cubby in the bulkhead. Then she stood up and wrapped it around his shoulders. He reached out his hand and gently touched the bloody wound on her abdomen.

“You’re injured,” he said.

“Do not be concerned,” she replied. “I heal very quickly. It will be gone by tomorrow.” She moved around him and disappeared briefly into the ship’s berth. When she returned, she handed him a round, squat glass filled halfway with a clear liquid. “Here, drink this,” she told him.

He took a sip and recoiled. “It tastes awful.”

“Gulp it down quickly, it will help,” she assured him.

He sniffed the glass, and scrunched up his nose but did as told. "What was that?" he asked, shuddering at the aftertaste.

“Gin,” she said. “It always works for me." She tilted his face to the side, examining first the bruise on his jaw and then the scrapes over his eye. She used the wet cloth in her other hand to meticulously clean the grime and blood from his face. “This looks painful," she observed, referring to the bruise on his jaw. "Are any of your teeth broken?"

“I don’t think so,” he replied.

She nodded. “The wounds on your face do not appear to be too bad otherwise. I am guessing most of this blood is not yours. Do you have any other injuries?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But it hurts to breathe.”

Kneeling again, she moved one side of the blanket away and pressed gently on his side. First one and then the other. He winced, taking in a sharp breath. She frowned and looked him in the eyes.

“I am going to need to remove your jacket and tunic,” she told him. “We will have to take off your sword.” He nodded, unsure, but complied, and allowed her to lift off his scabbard. Raising his arm caused more pain to shoot down his side, and he flinched again. The Feeonix continued to knit her brow as she unfastened his belt and jacket, and tugged his tunic lose. He tensed when she moved to slide her hand around his torso and stopped her.

“I haven't ever-I mean-I don't-" he stumbled over the right words. She drew her hand away and sat back on her haunches.

_She couldn’t remember having ever encountered a young man who had resisted being touched by her before. It shocked her, but she didn't want to upset him any further so, she made sure to keep her expression neutral. Perhaps he was more traumatized than she initially thought. She knew she needed to check his physical injuries foremost so, any psychological damage would have to wait._

She inhaled a deep breath and regained eye contact with him. “Elnor, I am not sure what you believe is happening here, but I would like to make it very clear that I am not going to hurt you,” she said gently. “I believe you have broken ribs, and if I do not at least assess how badly they are broken, one of them could puncture your lung. I am neither equipped nor qualified to handle a medical emergency of that sort.” He lowered his eyes as she continued. “I know you are experiencing unfamiliar sensations and perhaps feelings as well. It is because I emit an energy field that affects other humanoid species. It is making you feel uncomfortable right now, but you will get used to it, I promise."

He was still in a lot of pain, so after taking a few seconds to think, he finally nodded and released her hand.

“Alright,” she said, “slide yourself forward a little and sit up straight.” As carefully as she could, she eased his jacket off, let it slump down around him, and pulled his tunic over his head. She gingerly lifted his arm and positioned it out of her way.

_He'd never had a serious injury before, and he was in pain. That made him afraid. He’d also never been so isolated with someone he didn’t know before. That made him afraid too. He had seen firsthand what she was capable of, and he wasn't confident he'd be able to put up much of a fight if it came down to it. He'd perhaps foolishly allowed her to disarm him, and now he was half-naked and trapped. He felt helpless. If he let her touch him, would she set him on fire too?_

_S_ he pressed her fingertips along his side while keeping her other hand on his back.

_He braced himself for more pain, but it didn't come. He was surprised at how comforting her hands felt, and there was a warmth coming from them. He felt it sink into his flesh, easing both his sore muscles and his other aches. It seemed to be in his blood, circulating through every inch of his body, making his scalp and fingertips tingle, but it still wasn’t quite enough to eliminate the lingering reticence._

He let out a whimper when she hit the damaged bones. She hovered her fingers over the tender spot and fiddled around in a drawer next to her until she found the instrument she was looking for. She turned the device on, and it let out several consecutive high pitched beeps. She frowned at it and gave it a shake before she smacked it against her palm a few times. It beeped again, and she seemed satisfied that it was working.

"I need to get some updated equipment for this bucket," she muttered to herself as she circled the device around on his skin for several minutes.

_He noticed she was stroking her free hand across his back as if she were comforting a small child, but she didn't seem to realize she was doing it. She was too focused on his ribs to notice him quietly studying her face, still trying to decide if she was friend or foe, wondering a thousand things about her but too afraid to ask. She was very kind to him, but he remained unsure if it was because she wanted something from him, or perhaps she just enjoyed playing mind games with anyone who happened to cross her path. He remembered the things Picard told him about Naseema. Her passive nature, her patience, and her ancient wisdom. The old man clearly loved and admired her, and he loved and admired Picard, but he wasn’t sure this Feeonix was Naseema. She still hadn’t told him her name._

“I am pretty sure they are only fractures,” she said as she finished up. “If they were more serious breaks, I believe you would be having more difficulty breathing, and in a great deal more pain. It does not appear you have any other internal injuries, and this should do the trick. Although, you will likely have an ugly bruise there by tomorrow, and you will almost certainly feel sore for a few days. I would forgo the belt for the night if I were you, and you may wish to avoid being kicked in the ribs for a while."

“I think I wish to avoid that forever,” he replied, and she gave him a sympathetic smile, which made him feel a little better.

“You can put your clothes back on,” she told him as she tossed the instrument back into its drawer and heading into the berth again.

By the time he finished re-dressing himself and deciding against refastening his belt, she still hadn't returned so, he wandered into the rear of the ship to see what she was doing. Her jacket was laying on a chair, and she was standing in front of a mirror with her shirt hiked up, examining the nasty wound in her abdomen.

He lurked in the doorway until she said, “It is alright, you can come in.” He picked her jacket up from the chair, sat down, and held it in his lap. "Damn it," she muttered to herself. "It is deeper than I thought." She let out an exasperated sigh before opening another drawer and removing a small box. "Come over here and hold this for me," she said. He got to his feet, put her jacket down, and accepted the box. It was filled with manual sewing supplies. She pulled out a short, thin needle, and a spool of thread.

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

"I am going to stitch this wound closed," she replied, tearing off a length of thread and slipping it through the needle's eye. "Pass me that," she said, motioning to a bottle behind him. He set the box down next to it and handed her the requested item. She took a long swig from it and then passed it back to him. He returned it to its place and watched with interest as she pulled in a deep breath before she grit her teeth and pushing the needle into her flesh.

His eyes widened with shock when he realized what she was doing. “Doesn’t that _hurt_?” he asked, incredulous.

“Yes, it does,” she replied. “It hurts a lot.”

“I thought you said you would heal quickly?”

"I will, but not before I bleed all over everything.”

“Why don’t you use that other thing?” he continued. “The one you used to fix me?”

“That was a knitter,” she told him. “It is for repairing bone,

and most modern medical technology, even an old beater like that thing, is not compatible with my physiology so, I am left resorting to antiquated methods such as this.”

“Oh.” His concerned expression didn’t escape her.

“It may appear bad, but I have been through much worse," she assured him. “I have had been stabbed, shot, and broken more bones than I can remember. I have even been burned at the stake.”

“You sound a little accident-prone," he said.

“I suppose that is a fair assessment,” she laughed. “I have certainly been accused of recklessness and not unreasonably so.”

“How does someone get burned at the stake, anyway?” he asked.

“The answer to that depends on which instance you are referring to,” she replied.

"It happened more than once?!" he exclaimed. "I take it back. You're not accident-prone, you're crazy!"

She laughed even harder and winced as it caused her to tug at her wound. "I have been accused of that many times as well also, not unreasonably so."

“Perhaps you need a protector,” he suggested.

“Are you offering to provide that service?” she asked, still amused.

“Maybe I am.” His eyes widened as soon as the words were out of his mouth, and he was glad she wasn’t looking at him.

_Why did he say that, and why did he feel so drawn in by this alien? He watched her take an entire squadron of disruptor fire and turn a man into a bonfire. She didn't need protection, and yet he could sense a profound vulnerability about her. There was a deep wound inside her. Ancient and still festering. When she put her hand on him earlier, and he felt the warm energy coming from her, he’d been able to feel other things too. Just glances, but they were there. Sadness, desperation, loneliness, and grief. Outwardly, she seemed fearless, but he could see it was a facade. His feelings about her kept fluctuating between fascination and almost overwhelming fear. He’d always been able to maintain a strict focus, but right now, he couldn't stop his thoughts bouncing from one extreme to the other. It was frustrating and depleting what strength he had left. He was starting to feel unwell._

“That is very sweet,” she told him with a chuckle. “But I do not think I can subject you to such vexation. I am a difficult person to deal with.” She finished running the last stitch through, knotted the thread, and tore the needle-free. She took a glance at him, and he suddenly appeared confused, and upset. “What is wrong?” she asked and touched his arm. “Are you still in pain? Do you feel ill?”

“I don’t understand how you can do the things you can do!” he said abruptly, the timbre of his voice rising.

_He is definitely upset._

_He’d never felt like this before. He did feel safe here, but he couldn't seem to shut the fear off. He'd never seen the sort of violence she was capable of, and he deeply regretted his decision to stay on the Borg cube. He failed to help Hugh, and he was failing Picard too. He felt guilty, useless...lost. He didn’t know where this alien was taking him, his whole body hurt. He was tired, dizzy, and defeated. He knew all those feelings were about to spill out of him all at once, and he didn't know how she would react. He didn't want to make her angry. He was sure he was about to throw up._

“I do not understand," she said. "What do you mean, _the things I can do_?”

“How can you move so fast and fight so many enemies all at once?” he continued. “How can you be shot and stabbed, and not be hurt? How can you create fire out of nothing? Where are we going, and why did-why did you bring me here?”

She stared at him alarmed, and then he started to list to one side. She gripped his arm to steady him just as his knees buckled. “Whoa! Elnor! Hold onto me!” she commanded, grabbing him with both hands to keep him from hitting the floor. Still conscious, he held onto her shoulder as she slid herself under his arm and leaned him against her. She eased him back into the cabin and into his chair.

“I don’t feel well,” he whispered, and she heard the catch in his throat.

_He was dangerously close to tears or vomiting, and she didn't particularly want to deal with either of those._

She crouched down in front of him, examined his eyes, and felt his cheek with the back of her hand. She slid her other hand underneath his and held it.

_He found the action strangely welcome, considering how he’d been feeling about her a minute ago. He was so confused. He wanted her to help him, yet he didn't. He felt sick. He wanted his mind to stop churning out so many contradictory feelings._

“When was the last time you ate anything?” she asked. He didn't feel feverish, and she was confident he didn't have a concussion so, a marked drop in blood sugar seemed like a likely suspect.

_She wondered how long he’d been on that cube before she found him._

“It was a few days ago,” he replied.

“I think that might be your problem. Let me get you something to eat,” she suggested. “Is there anything you prefer?”

Elnor shook his head. “I can’t think of anything,”

_Suddenly, the prospect of food was turning the tide in her favour, and when she held his hand, that strange, calm feeling inside him returned. It sought out every crevice like a welcome hug from inside. He finally decided to drop his guard completely, and let that feeling settle in. When he did it allowed him to sharpen his focus. He went over the events again one at a time. She rescued him from the Borg cube, she treated his injuries, she was kind and gentle with him, and she was offering him food. She wanted to help him. He decided to take the risk and extend a little trust._

“Well, I think I know what will hit the spot," she said, giving him a friendly smile. She went to the small replicator, and when she returned, she handed him a plate of toast, meat, and fluffy yellow chunks.

He tasted it, and his eyes brightened. “This is good! What is it?”

“Scrambled eggs,” she replied and handed him a glass of water. “Something humans call _comfort food_.”

_She hoped the food would help settle him. She could tell he was not himself. It made her concerned for him. He was so young, and she guessed he wasn’t used to having to process so many emotions all at once. She’d been impressed with his combat skills. He was elegant and well trained, but she suspected he was inexperienced outside of situations he could control. She felt terrible that he witnessed her unleash the predator on another, and she was worried she was compounding his trauma with her anxiety. He appeared to be affected by her feelings, and if she could keep her energy field in a calming state, he would be able to relax and trust her._

“Are you from Earth?” he asked. “I don’t know very much about Feeonix, and you still haven’t told me your name.”

“Sort of,” she replied. “And you were correct. I am Naseema. Did Jean-Luc tell you about me?”

“Yes, he told me that you were the love of Data’s life,” he said between mouth-fulls. Naseema went silent and dropped her eyes. Elnor stopped eating. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

She shrugged it off and met his gaze again. "No, you didn't say anything wrong. It has just been a very long time since I have thought about that time in my life, and I am not sure I am ready to go back there at the moment. Perhaps another time.” She rubbed her palm with her opposite thumb and shifted uncomfortably in her chair before asking, “What else did Jean-Luc tell you about me?”

“He told me that you were very old,” he replied, shoveling another spoonful of eggs into his mouth.

Naseema laughed, "Of course, he did."

“I don’t think you look very old,” he added.

“Well, you certainly are a silver-tongued devil,” she laughed again and elicited a pleased grin from the young Romulan.

_He didn't know what a silver-tongued devil was, but he could tell she meant it as a compliment._

“Believe it or not, I am one thousand five hundred and fifty-three years old.”

His eyes grew wide with disbelief. “You are not!” he declared. “Nobody lives that long!”

_When Picard told him stories of Naseema, the old man never specified her exact age. He assumed she was a few hundred years old, at most, and would wear her years more obviously. He never expected to meet her in the first place, and he did not expect her to look the way she did. She didn’t look any older than he was, and while Picard had told him that all the Feeonix were beautiful, that word didn’t quite do her justice. Her face was framed by a trail of colourful, shining scales that looked like jewels embedded in her skin, and they continued down her neck until the trail disappeared beneath her clothes. He wondered if her entire body was covered with them but knew better than to ask such a question. Equally bright, colourful feathers sprouted from her hairline. Long and thin, they seemed to float just above her hair. It looked like she was wearing a crown. She had the largest eyes he’d ever seen. They were pools of glowing blue light, and that strange light radiated from her entire person. She had an otherworldly quality, and he could only imagine the vastness of her knowledge._

“I will likely live a great deal longer,” she said. “Members of my species can live for hundreds of thousands of years.”

“Picard didn’t tell me _that!_ ” Elnor exclaimed as he finished his plate and looked around for somewhere to put it. Naseema extended her arm, and he handed it to her. She deposited it back in the replicator but paused to ask if he was still hungry.

“No, thank you,” he replied. “I feel much better.”The food had soothed his stomach, and his body ached less. He was also becoming rather intrigued by his strange, alien liberator, and wanted to know more.

She gave him a smile and a nod. Then she went into the berth and returned with two glasses and the bottle she drank out of earlier. She poured some of the clear liquid into each glass and handed one to her companion.

“What is it?” he asked.

“A celebration,” she replied.

“Celebration?” he asked with a puzzled expression. “What are we celebrating?”

“We are celebrating the fact that we lived to fight another day,” she said and raised her glass towards him before she downed its contents in one gulp. Still puzzled, he mimicked her actions and downed the liquid but shuddered afterward. "Another?" she asked. He gave her an affirming shrug and extended his glass towards her. She topped his up first and then her own.

“Will you answer my questions now?” he asked and took a drink from his glass.

“Which questions would you like answers to?”

“The ones I asked before I...” he trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

“Before you nearly fainted from starvation?” she suggested.

“Yes,” he confirmed self-consciously.

"There is no reason to be embarrassed," she assured him. "Borg cubes are, at their best, frightening places, and you have been through a lot," she continued. "I can tell you are a formidable swordsman, but I suspect that today was the first time you have ever been in a situation like that. So heavily outnumbered, all alone, and far away from your home.”

“Yes,” he admitted.

“You are still very young, and misadventures are part of exploring the world beyond the places where we feel safe. You have done nothing wrong. I have been there before as well,” she said.

“But you are so capable and strong,” he argued. “More than I am.”

“I have been very close to death many times in my life, and I have learned from those experiences. My age is a big part of the reason I am so capable,” she explained. “I have more than fifteen hundred years of military experience. I am indeed stronger and faster than most humanoids, and that does give me an advantage, but most of what I can do has been learned. You can learn it too. You do not need to possess superior size or strength to defeat an enemy.”

"Can you teach me to use fire as you can?" he asked.

"That, I cannot teach you. That is an ability only the Feeonix have, and it is something we have to learn to control when we choose to take this form,” she replied. “We are naturally very emotional beings, and if we do not control those emotions, they are capable of unleashing very powerful, and very destructive discharges of concentrated energy."

He looked at her quizzically. “I don’t understand what you mean by _this form_? Can you change it to look like someone else?”

“I have encountered other species who are capable of that, but I am not one of them," she said. "I cannot change the way my humanoid body looks any more than you can, but I am not a flesh and blood person in the way you are. I can create a body like yours to interact with you, but I am an energy-based entity. If I were to revert to my true form, all you would see is a ribbon of light, and we would be unable to communicate with each other.”

“Can you show me?” he asked.

“If I were to do that, I would destroy this ship,” she replied with a rueful smile. “I take up quite a bit more space in my natural state, and this little ship was not designed to contain that amount of raw energy."

“Well, I don’t want you to destroy your ship,” he replied with a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Can you tell me about your energy field?”

“What would you like to know?”

“What does it do?”

“It surrounds my entire body,” she explained. “I can use it to manipulate other sources of energy. When I focus, I can use it to create a feeling of calm for those around me, and it also causes the majority of humanoid males to...feel things.”

_She was curious about his earlier reaction to her, but she wasn't sure how to broach the topic with him. She didn't want him to feel self-conscious nor, did she wish to encourage unwanted overtures. Perhaps if she let him lead himself there, she could find out if he was insulated against the usual effect of her energy field without having to ask outright if he was experiencing an inexplicable desire to sleep with her._

“What kind of things does it make them feel?” he asked.

“Sexual attraction usually,” she replied, giving him a sideways look.

_It hadn’t occurred to her that he wouldn’t recognize sexual urges when he experienced them. She was aware that many religious orders practiced lifelong abstinence, but she was admittedly, confounded that he didn’t seem to have any idea at all what she was talking about._

“I must admit most males do not feel comfortable discussing such feelings. Are you not experiencing any?”

“I don’t know,” he replied after he thought about it for a second or two. “I’m not sure I would know if I was having them.”

Her spine straightened in surprise.

_Wow, he didn't know enough to recognize those feelings. She had not expected that, and she had also not expected such honest candor from him. In her experience, even the most candid young men did not care to discuss their intimate urges and feelings with anyone, nevermind a stranger. She wondered if this openness was an aspect of his upbringing under the Qowat Milat. She had heard of the Romulan order of warrior nuns before, but she didn’t know much about them. Still, it seemed odd to her that if his training revolved around such forthrightness, the concept would also apply to discussions of sexuality._

“That is a remarkably honest answer, Elnor, and I suppose it makes perfect sense,” she said. “You are Qowat Milat, and that is a religious order correct?”

“Yes, I was raised by the sisters on Vashti,” he told her. “They taught me their philosophies and trained me in the art of the _tan qalanq_ , but I can’t ever _really_ be one of them.”

“No boys allowed, huh?”

“No,” he replied.

“That must have been very lonely for you,” she surmised and furrowed her brow. “Growing up without any true sense of belonging. How was it that you came to meet Jean-Luc Picard?”

“The sisters who took me in were helping with the Romulan relocation," he replied, finishing his drink, and since he was feeling pretty good at the moment, he allowed her to pour him another. "He used to visit a lot when I was little, and it was almost like having a father, but then the attack on Mars happened, and he had to leave. He told me he would be back soon, but I didn't see him again until recently."

Her eyes widened with shock, and she had to choke back the biting comment she wanted to make.

_She couldn't deny that Jean-Luc was a great man, but he could certainly be an emotionally crippled dolt at times. She could tell the young Romulan loved him, and then he just fucked off for years without so much as a word. She did the math and guessed he had effectively abandoned Elnor for nearly fifteen years._

“Why did he come back for you after all that time?” she asked and anticipated an answer that would piss her off. She was not disappointed.

“He needed my help to find Soji," Elnor explained, "He said he was an old man, and I was a young one, and he needed my strength, and courage so, I became as his _qalankhkai_.”

“So, you are his bodyguard?"

“Yes.”

“You are a more forgiving person than I am because I do not know if I would have been so willing,” she said.

“I said _no_ at first," he admitted. "I believed he had only returned because he wanted something from me, and I only had value to him as a fighter. I was very hurt."

“That is understandable,” she said and leaned forward in her seat. “Why did you change your mind?”

“Zani told me that it might be my only chance to leave Vashti,” he said. “She said she wanted to see me _live_.”

“She must love you very much.”

“She does," he replied. "She is the closest thing I have to a mother, and I love her too."

Naseema smiled sadly. Since meeting him, she felt her impulses to protect begin to stir. It warmed her heart to know that he had not been completely alone after Picard deserted him. “Well, I am sorry about the circumstances under which we met, but I am glad you decided to leave Vashti. I can feel that you are special, Elnor, and I am glad to have met you," she told him.

He smiled and flushed a little. “I'm glad I met you too," he replied, and more quietly, he added, "and I am glad you rescued me."

“I am also glad I rescued you. I have spent a great deal of time alone over the years, and it is nice to have your company." She poured herself another drink and slid back in her chair.

_There was something about this young man that was drawing her in. Something bewitchingly familiar in his eyes. She couldn't stave off her curiosity any longer, and their conversation had diverged from the information she sought. If she was going to sate the nagging need to know, she was going to have to bite the bullet and take the direct approach._

“May I ask you something?

“Yes,” he said. “I like talking to you.”

"Please do not misinterpret my interest here, but since you told me you are unsure of how my energy field makes you feel, I am curious as to why you stopped me from touching you earlier?" she asked.

_She knew it was a very forward question, but she just couldn’t help herself. She had met religious men before that didn’t let their commitment to their faith stop them from propositioning her and men as young as Elnor usually lasted less than an hour before their libidos got the better of them. Especially, in such close quarters but he had stopped her from touching him. He genuinely seemed to be unaffected by her that way, and in fifteen hundred and fifty-three years, it was only the second time that ever happened._

He didn't say anything at first, but she watched his body language closely, and he didn't appear to be squeamish about her question. "If it makes you uncomfortable, do not feel as though you have to answer," she clarified. "I am not trying anything I am simply curious.”

“What does that mean?” he asked. “What are you _not trying_ to do?”

_Now, she was the uncomfortable one. She should have just left well enough alone, but it was too late. She had not just opened the door, she kicked it clean off its hinges, and felt obligated to answer._

“I am not trying to get in your pants.”

_As soon as she said it, she regretted it. What the hell was the matter with her? Was she that out of practice interacting with anybody but Jagger? If he didn't understand what 'trying anything' meant, why did she expect him to understand 'getting in your pants'? She was annoyed with herself, and then she took a mental count of how many drinks she'd had...and how many she'd given Elnor. Fuck._

She forced herself to look at him.

He was frowning to himself. “Your questions are very confusing. What is in my pants?” he asked and almost instantly put it together. His eyes grew wide with shock. “Oh-you meant-OH!” he exclaimed. He straightened his posture and eyed her warily. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”

_He had the birds, and the bees explained to him, but he was still unclear on all the nuances. Was she asking him for lovemaking, or did she think that was what he wanted from her?_

She had to stop herself from asking him what he thought she meant. She needed to end this humiliating debacle so, she simply said, "Yes." She brought her hands up to her face and sighed, "I am sorry. I handled this very badly. You do not have to answer the question." When she dropped her hands, he was wearing an amused grin.

_He realized she was concerned her energy field was causing him to, as she put it, ‘feel certain things' and she wanted to make sure he wasn't getting the wrong idea. He could admit that being around her made him feel good, but he was not interested in pursuing sexual intimacy with her._

“I know what sex is, and I didn't think that."

She let out another sigh, this time out of relief.

_She was disappointed in herself. Her question was completely out of line, and she shouldn't have let her curiosity overpower her better judgment. She was far too accustomed to not having to communicate with others. She couldn’t believe she had to remind herself that_ _his intimate thoughts were none of her concern. No matter who he reminded her of._

“No one has ever asked to remove any of my clothes before, and while I wanted to believe you were trying to help me, I was unsure of your intentions, and I was afraid,” he admitted. “Of you and of what would happen if I allowed you to touch me.”

“You do not have to explain anything," she said. "I apologize for even asking in the first place. It is none of my business, and I am sorry I made you feel uncertain and fearful.”

“I’m not offended by your question, and I’m no longer afraid,” he insisted. “The only thing I’m still uncertain of is if you are aware of the way you touched me?"

She buried her face in her hands again. "Oh, Elnor, I am so ashamed of myself for giving you the wrong impression and making you feel like your virtue was in peril,” she moaned.

“We’re still misunderstanding each other. That is not what I meant either,” he said. He rested his hand on her shoulder to encourage her to look up at him. “I was unsure of what you wanted to do, but I wasn't afraid you wanted me to do... _that_. I was afraid you would set me on fire, but that is also not what I meant.”

She finally met his gaze with a dumbfounded expression.

_She was stunned. It hadn’t occurred to her that was what he was afraid of. It made absolute sense that after watching her use them to barbecue another Romulan, he wouldn't want those same hands on him. This was why she avoided other people._

“You seemed unaware of what you were doing, but as you were treating my injury, you began to rub my back the way Zani would when I was little and afraid of monsters under my bed. I could feel the energy coming from you. I could feel it inside me, and it did affect me just not the way you think. It didn’t make me want to make love, but I felt comforted and less afraid. It made me want to trust you.”

“You are correct, I was unaware. I am glad I did not make you uncomfortable. Thank you for explaining your feelings so eloquently," she replied, touched by his desire to ease her worry. "I am afraid I am grossly out of practice being in the company of others. I should not have made any assumptions about what you were feeling,”

“You’ve explained your energy field normally causes an increase in sexual desire so, if that's been your experience, I don't blame you for assuming I would be affected the same way," he replied. "The sisters are very disciplined, but they didn’t encourage me to ignore those feelings. I have just always been very focused on study and training. Romance is a distraction that doesn’t have a place in my life, at least not right now.”

_She understood how he felt. She spent most of her life believing the same. Things were so much easier without the complications of caring deeply for another and becoming attached to people she would inevitably outlive. Especially, the way she carried on. While she'd always been able to remain altruistic, it was not the same as truly allowing someone else in and giving yourself over to them completely. She didn’t believe she’d ever be able to do that again._

“You have been very open with me when you are certainly not obligated to be,” she told him. “That is a remarkable quality to possess. Please do not allow anyone to convince you that you should change that about yourself.”

“Truth and honesty are very important to a Qowat Milat,” he replied. “We are guided by, the _Way of Absolute Candor_. The total communication of emotion with no filter between thought and words.”

“That is a beautiful philosophy to embrace and very unlike most of the Romulans I have encountered,”

she said.

"I've gathered that," he teased, and she gave him an embarrassed smirk for his trouble.

“In the spirit of your beliefs, I would like to do what I should have done and explain to you why I asked such a personal question," she said, taking a deep breath. "When you stopped me from touching you earlier, that is almost the only time any man has ever done that. My energy field does not seem to have the usual effect on you, and there is only one other who could ever make that claim.”

“Data?” he asked, “Do you think I’m an android?”

“Not at all,” she told him. “He was unique, not a flesh and blood man. You are and while I can sense that I am affecting you it does not appear to be the same way as every other man from every other species before you. There has only ever been one other exception.”

_She had not thought about Nasir except in passing for a very long time, but the more time she spent with Elnor, the more her memories of Nasir were pushed to the surface. There were certainly differences between the two. Elnor was a little younger and innocent. Nasir was more experienced when their paths converged, and he had quiet wisdom beyond his years, but she could imagine that he'd been very similar to Elnor once upon a time. They were both skilled warriors, devout in their faiths, and blessed with the same extraordinary grace, and honesty. There was something in Elnor’s eyes that made her feel like Nasir was there reaching out to her. All these things made her want a connection with him, and now she wondered if fate had sent him into her orbit to help fill the enormous hole Data left when he died._

"His name was Nasir, and long before Data, he was the closest thing I had ever had to a real friend,” her voice broke as the words came out.

_The flood of emotion that came with saying those names out loud was stronger than she anticipated, and she could feel herself about to crumble. She knew she needed to keep it together because Elnor would have a million questions, and she didn't want to scare him again by dissolving into a puddle of tears._

His eyes were transfixed on her. Wide and shining.

_He wanted to ask so many questions, but even more, he wanted to hear her stories. All of them. All one thousand five hundred and fifty-three years worth. He'd all but forgotten his earlier trepidation, and he realized how fortunate he was to meet any Feeonix nevermind the very one he'd already heard stories about. The one connected to Picard and the cause he’d bound himself to. He decided that his chance encounter with Naseema was well worth the broken ribs. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he already felt a bond forming between them._

“How did you meet Nasir?” he asked excitedly. “I want to know everything!”

“He was a Muslim man from North Africa who came to England near the end of the Third Crusade in the year 1191, and we became part of a revolt against a powerful man who was attempting to usurp the throne from the rightful king,” she told him.

“What’s a _crusade_?” he pressed and edged forward in his chair.

She couldn’t help but let a smile overtake her face. She picked up the bottle and poured each of them another drink.

_Elnor was so eager to hear the story she couldn’t help thinking of Data and the way he would sit perched on the edge of his seat, completely captivated by her every word much the same way Elnor was now. Where had this remarkable young man come from? Had he been sent by some unknown benefactor to save her from her loneliness? Before Data, twenty years would have barely registered for her, but since he died, time had all but stopped completely. The last two decades had been an excruciating eternity, and she had thousands more to get through. True, she had the other Feeonix, what was left of them, but Data was her mate, and when he was gone, most of her went with him. The companionship of friends just wasn't enough to fill the void so, instead, she dedicated herself to the security of their new home. It left her on her own most of the time, but it also allowed her to avoid sharing her misery with those who already had enough to worry about, and it freed her up to exact her grief on those who hated everything Data was. At least for tonight, she could enjoy Elnor’s conversational charms and lose herself in something familiar._

She spent the next three and a half hours unraveling the entire tale for him. “Until Data, Nasir was the greatest love of my life,” she finished. “He is still as clear in my mind now as he was twelve hundred years ago.”

“That was amazing,” the young Romulan said as he stretched back in his seat with a satisfied sigh. "You stayed together his entire life?"

"We did," she replied, splitting the last of the bottle between them.

“I still don’t believe you were never intimate,” he insisted. With his fingers locked together, he stretched his arms up and then folded them behind his head.

“Well, there is such a thing as platonic romance,” she told him with a gentle laugh. "Whether you believe that or not is up to you, but it is the truth. We loved each other deeply, but we were never physically intimate for a myriad of reasons.”

“Like what?" he scoffed. "You are probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I might be dedicated to my principles, but I cannot say I would never change my mind about that in my whole life."

_He was drunk_.

She couldn’t help but laugh at his bold statement. “I am hardly worth overthrowing a religious vocation for. You will most certainly see far more beautiful women throughout your life, and I do not believe that there were none on Vashti pretty enough to turn your head.”

“I didn’t say there weren’t,” he replied.

She jerked her head back in mock surprise and folded her arms across her chest. “What happened to the dedicated protege?” she smirked. “I thought romance had no place in your life?”

“I said I was dedicated not blind,” he retorted.

“You have quite the saucy streak,” she laughed. “Alright, since _Absolute Candor_ is the way, Feeonix does not mate outside our kind.

He carefully considered her words. “If you don't mate outside your kind, what about Data? He wasn't a Feeonix, and Picard told me he was your soulmate,” he finally said.

_His statement cut her deeply, but she knew he wasn’t trying to hurt her. The Way of Absolute Candor took a little getting used to. Besides, she was the one who got him drunk and loosened both his tongue and his inhibition. She also knew his youth and innocence made it unreasonable for her to expect him to understand the depth of her grief, and how much of her it had eaten away. She didn’t want him to understand. Nobody should have to know what it was like._

“He was special,” she quietly replied. “He was immune to more than the invisible effects of my energy field. He was also immune to my...it was very complicated.”

The change in her demeanor didn't escape him, and his face fell. "I'm sorry," he said. "I hurt you."

"It was not your intention, and you have not done any real harm,” she replied. “You do not need to be sorry.”

“I don’t understand,” he said. “If you were in love, why did it have to be complicated?"

_He was going to learn eventually that sometimes even the most seemingly uncomplicated things could be horrendously complicated just under the surface. He might as well hear it from her._

“The Feeonix possess unspeakable power, Elnor," she began. "In my natural state, I am capable of destroying entire solar systems. Even contained in this body, I am far more powerful than any single being should ever be. Many would call me an abomination, and most other Romulans do.”

The increasing seriousness of her tone was not lost on him, and she quickly had his undivided attention again.

“In humanoid form, my powers become like a separate entity inside me. A highly instinctive predator, that must be kept under control. When you saw me kill that man on the Borg cube, you saw me let that predator out. The white flames are part of that. They are a side-effect of containing so much energy inside a body not designed for it. Because of what we are and what we are capable of, the Feeonix must conduct themselves with care and control when we interact with other species. For the most part, I can control the flames, but there are certain situations where I cannot. Making love is one of those situations. The Feeonix do not mate outside our kind because we will kill our partner.”

Elnor was so close to the edge of his chair he was dangerously close to falling out of it. "How do you know that?" he asked, astonished.

“Because it has happened,” she replied bluntly. “To this day, Data remains the sole survivor.”

“Wow,” he whispered.

“Wow is right,” she continued. "I broke the unbreakable rule. You cannot imagine how much trouble I was in afterward. I very nearly lost everything."

“There must have been a happy ending though right?" he asked. "You and Data stayed together.”

"When a Feeonix finds their soulmate, their heart will literally glow," she confirmed. "Since Data was my true mate, even though we were an anomaly, we were encouraged to stay together. So, yes, everything worked out in the end. However-”

“Wait,” Elnor interrupted. “How did the other Feeonix find out in the first place?”

“They were told,” she replied.

“Who told them?” he asked.

“Another Feeonix who was visiting.”

“Why would they do that?”

“He was jealous,” Naseema told him. “He believed I was his, that I betrayed him, and he wanted to punish me.”

Elnor didn't say anything. He just sat there staring at her with an incredulous look on his face.

"He eventually regretted his actions, and I forgave him, but I will admit that having your intimate moments broadcast across a starship by a public trial is an extremely unpleasant experience. I was very angry with him at the time, as was Data."

“I don’t know,” he mused with a smirk. “If it were me, I think I might be kind of proud to broadcast that.”

“You know, even while adhering to _Absolute Candor_ , you do not need to say everything out loud,” she laughed and shook her head at him.

He smiled with drunken enthusiasm and opened his mouth to counter her, but an enormous yawn escaped instead.

“Perhaps you should get some sleep,” she suggested. “There is a bed in the back.”

He nodded as another yawn overtook him. "Where will you sleep?" he asked, concerned he was taking up her space.

“I do not need to sleep,” she replied. “The bed is for passengers.”

“How many passengers have you had on this little thing?" he inquired, glancing around the tiny ship with curiosity.

"You are the first," she said.

He nodded through another yawn, too exhausted for any more questions, and rose unsteadily to his feet. He tried to move towards the berth but almost immediately stumbled to one side and had to brace himself against the bulkhead to keep from falling over. Naseema jumped up and came over to steady him.

“Perhaps I should help you to bed,” she said.

_She felt guilty for plying him with so much liquor, and it wasn't hard to guess this was likely the first time he'd ever had it. He was going to feel terrible when he woke up, and so was she._

“Thank you for being so kind to me,” he said softly and draped his arm across her shoulder as he let her lead him into the dark room at the back of the ship.

“You may not be thanking me when you wake,” she replied as she heaved him onto the bunk. "Sweet dreams, my friend, you did well today." She turned to leave, but he caught her hand.

“Will you stay for a while?" he asked, looking up at her with big, brown eyes so much like Nasir's that she instantly crumbled. She sat on the floor and reclined against the bed while he wriggled himself into a position to be able to see her face. She rested her head on the mattress to look at him. He studied her for a moment before asking, “Can I touch your feathers?”

“You may,” she replied. He tentatively reached out and caressed his hand along them as if he were touching the most delicate crystal. They responded by quivering and rising to meet him. His eyes grew wide with wonder.

“What does that feel like?” he whispered.

“A pleasant tingling sensation in my head,” she replied.

“Do they have a mind of their own?”

“No, but they are very sensitive,” she laughed.

“They’re beautiful, like a floating crown,” he said.

“Thank you," she replied, and he gave her a pleased smile before making another appeal.

“Will you tell me another story?”

“I suppose,” she said with an agreeing nod. “What would you like to hear about?”

“Tell me about the _Enterprise,_ ” he replied with another yawn right on the heels of his request.

So she started to tell him all about the adventures of the _USS Enterprise_ and its crew, but he didn’t last long before his breathing slowed to the easy, steady pace of deep sleep. She got to her feet carefully so, she didn't disturb him and shook out the blanket at the foot of the bed before she draped it over him. Then she slipped out into the cabin, replicated herself another bottle of gin, and sat in the pilot’s chair. She filled her glass almost to the brim and leaned back. She slowly gulped the entire thing and let it burn her throat on the way down. Once it was gone, she rested the glass down on the console and stared out at the nothing in front of her. That was the trouble with subspace. You could travel much faster and remain undetected, but there wasn't much to look at.

_She thought about Data and Nasir. She missed them both, and even though Nasir hadn't occupied her thoughts like this in a very long time, thinking of him now made the wound fresh again. They may not have ever been able to consummate their love, but that didn't make it any less real. Nasir was the first person by centuries to know what she truly was. He knew she wasn't human, and he knew the power she possessed, but it made no difference to him or how he loved her. She didn't have to disguise her appearance for him. He had never been afraid of her, and the effect of her energy field had not been as strong with him. That made it easy for her to trust him. She was always sure he was unmotivated by her alien influence. He had been the one to give her the name, Naseema, and even though she'd gone by many names before and hundreds more after, that was the name she kept for herself, and those she trusted. She couldn't help but have similar feelings about the young Qowat Milat asleep in the back of the tiny ship. She could still hear his rhythmic breathing even out here, and her thoughts turned to the warm, dark eyes she was sure she could see Nasir in. Elnor's grace and faith reminded her so much of Nasir that she was starting to fear for her sanity. It was impossible he'd come back to her in the form of her young Romulan guest, she knew that, but she couldn't ignore the way she was feeling. It would be exactly like Nasir to appear when she needed him most. She enjoyed Elnor's company, but he was proving to be more of a complication than a welcome distraction. She knew Picard would try to bring Soji home, and she was positive they would be followed. If the Romulans found their homeworld, they were facing war, and she would be needed. She didn't need these feelings occupying her mind. She hoped she wasn't condemning him to death by doing so, but she would have to bring Elnor with her. She didn't have time to take him back to Vashti or anywhere else. She needed to regain her focus, and she knew the only way to do that was to allow these feelings to overtake her, just for a little while._

She gave a glance behind her to make sure Elnor was still sleeping before she returned her eyes to the empty blackness in front of her. Then she poured herself another tall drink and silently allowed the tears to flow freely down her face.

When he woke up hours later, his head was pounding, and as he tried to sit up, the room started to spin.

_He'd never felt this awful in his life, and he wondered what Naseema had done to him. Had she poisoned him? Was this part of the effect of her energy field? He felt stupid for trusting her, and he was determined not to make that mistake a second time._

Looking out into the cabin, he could see her seated at the console with her back to him. He dragged himself off the bed, staggered forward, and kept his hand against the bulkhead to steady himself. Even though he was dizzy and his vision blurry, he quietly went for his _tan qalanq._ The sound of him releasing it from its scabbard alerted Naseema, and she looked over her shoulder. He pointed the sword at her.

“What did you do to me?” he demanded his throat dry and his voice raspy.

She turned the entire chair around to face him and held her hands up. “Please put that down,” she said calmly. “It will not serve your purpose.”

“Why do I feel like this?” he demanded and refused to lower his weapon.

“It is called a hangover. You are very dehydrated, and I know you feel unwell, but I can fix that," she told him.

“I will ask you one more time," he said, trying to shake his head clear, then pulling in a deep breath. “What did you do to-” He didn’t get to finish his interrogation before he abruptly doubled over and vomited on the floor. He went down on one knee, and Naseema got out of her seat to help him into the nearby chair.

“Oh, Elnor,” she said with a look of both sympathy and guilt on her face. “I am so very sorry. I should not have given you alcohol last night. That is why you feel the way you do. I can give you something to clear your head and settle your stomach.”

_He wasn't sure he wanted to let her give or do anything to him, but he knew he was in no shape to fight her. His condition wasn't affecting his memory, and he could recall the day before, and how kind she'd been to him. She still seemed to be the same friendly person she'd been last night, and she genuinely appeared to feel bad for his current state. The warm, calm feeling started to flow through him again and gave him more clarity of thought. He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and let her help him once more._

“I don’t have to take any of my clothes off again, do I?” he asked.

Her expression turned into a mix of tenderness and mild amusement. “No, you do not have to remove any of your clothes,” she replied. She opened the same drawer that contained the bone knitter and took out a hypospray. She held it out so he could examine it and explained, “This will counteract the effect of the alcohol.”

He looked at it and nodded before he allowed her to press it against his neck.

“It may take a few minutes before you start to feel better,” she told him. Then she went to the replicator and came back with a huge glass full of bright orange liquid and several pieces of toast. “Drink this but do it slowly, or you may be sick again,” she instructed. “Then you can eat.”

Once again, he accepted her offering and did as he was told. At least this time, the drink tasted better. She picked up the _tan qalanq_ and slid it back into its spathe. Then she leaned it against his chair before she returned to her seat.

“I haven’t seen you eat anything,” he observed. “Do you not need to do that either?”

“I have been known to eat on occasion, but you are correct it is not something I need to do," she replied. "As far as the sleeping goes, I am capable of becoming tired, and I do require certain amounts of rest, but I don't need it as frequently as most species do. I enter a regenerative state about once every six months or so where I will sleep very deeply for several consecutive days. I return home when that occurs. It is a vulnerable state for the Feeonix, and we like to be in a safe place, and keep watch over each other.”

“That’s understandable,” he agreed.

“Are you feeling any better yet?” she asked, and he nodded.

“You said it was the alcohol?” he asked. “Is that what I was drinking last night?”

“Yes, and again I must apologize. I forget sometimes that most species require more water and also lack my tolerance for alcohol," she said.

“So you don’t sleep, you don’t eat, and you can’t get drunk either?” he asked.

“Oh, I am quite capable of getting drunk, and I do not doubt if you were to ask anyone who knows me they would probably tell you I do it far too often, and they wouldn’t be wrong. I have had quite a lot of practice and developed a high tolerance,” she told him as she took a sip of her coffee.

“I wish I was invincible like you,” he sighed.

"I am not invincible, far from it," she said. "If the Feeonix were invincible, we would not be nearly extinct."

“How many of you are left?” he asked.

“Fifteen.”

“I’m having a hard time understanding how beings with so much power can be so close to being gone forever,” he admitted.

"Possessing such power has made us feared, and people often seek to destroy what they fear," she said.

“Why didn’t you just fight back?” he asked.

"If we attacked everyone who ever threatened us, I can promise that half the galaxy would be in ruins," she said. "Displays of such power only serve to create more fear and mistrust. That does not help anyone in the end. I have learned that the hard way...multiple times.”

“It hurts me to know that fear has caused such sorrow for your kind,” he said.

_It made his heart ache to hear her talk about the destruction of her species. He could understand the initial fear others might have of her. He'd certainly been afraid of her at first, but once he spent some time with her, he learned what a compassionate, gentle person she was, and he changed his mind. If only others could have the same experience, he was sure they would understand she wasn't as dangerous as they wanted to believe. Fear also didn't seem like a good excuse to exterminate an entire species. He'd been taught not to judge others too quickly and to have respect for all life, but he realized his beliefs left him in the minority. He was seeing the bigger picture now, what Soji, Naseema, and the ex-borg were up against. Fear, hatred, persecution, they were all connected by those things._

Naseema gave him a sad smile, but before she could reply, the console let out a double beep to tell her there was an incoming transmission. "Hello Simon," she said as she tapped on the pad.

“It’s Jag,” came the voice. “You’re never gonna believe who just rolled in.”

“Let me guess,” she replied. “The esteemed Admiral Jean-Luc Picard?”

“How in the hell do you know that?” the voice asked.

“It is a long story,” she said with a sigh. “Does he have Soji with him?”

“He sure does.”

“I will be there as soon as I can.”

“Alrighty then, I’ll hold him off until you get here. See you in a few.”

Naseema closed the channel and turned to her companion. “Elnor,” she said. “I need you to tell me everything that has happened since you bound your sword to Jean-Luc.”

The seriousness of her tone surprised him a little, but he told her the entire story and spared no details.


	3. Coppelius Control

Once they landed on the planet, Naseema led him to a large open room divided into separate areas for astrometrics, communications, defense, and systems monitoring. Seated at one of the stations was another Feeonix. He turned his head towards them as he heard them enter and quickly got to his feet.

“Hey, girl! Long time no see," he said brightly, coming over to hug her.

"Hi, Simon," she said with a grin, opening her arms to accept his welcome. He must have failed to notice the young Romulan with her at first because as he opened his eyes, he took a step back in shock. Elnor smiled at him but stayed quiet.

“You didn’t mention you were bringing a visitor,” the Feeonix said warily.

“It was not planned,” Naseema replied. “I could not leave him where he was and I did not have time to return him to Vashti.”

“Vashti!?” Simon said with surprise before looking at Elnor. “Is that where you’re from?” Elnor nodded but still didn’t say anything. “Bummer,” the Feeonix added before turning back to Naseema. “The others are going to freak out when they see him, you know that right?”

“The others need to relax, Simon,” she replied. “He is not what he appears to be.”

“So he's not a Romulan?" was the sarcastic reply, and Naseema folded her arms across her chest in annoyance. She didn't get another chance to defend Elnor, who was becoming more uncomfortable by the second before two other Feeonix entered the room through the far door. The first one, a female, stopped dead in her tracks, letting the cup she was carrying slide right out of her hand when she laid eyes on Elnor. It hit the floor, splattering its contents everywhere. The second Feeonix, also female, came up behind her and reacted to the mess.

“Oh, nice job Juliet,” she remarked. “Honestly, what is the matter with-” she cut herself off once she also noticed the young monk, and let her widening eyes travel up and down his entire person. “Well, isn’t he a tall drink of water,” she said to Naseema. “Where’d you find him?”

Elnor leaned towards Naseema and quietly asked, “What does _a tall drink of water_ mean?

She rolled her eyes and let out an irritated sigh. “She finds you attractive,” she replied and then directed a warning towards the second female Feeonix, “keep your hands to yourself, Salome.”

“Hey, whatever you say, boss lady,” Salome said, holding her palms up in mock surrender. She leaned against a console and continued to eye the young Romulan with interest. Elnor squirmed a little under her unyielding gaze and edged closer to Naseema.

The next Feeonix through the door was a very tall, very handsome male. He entered with an enormous grin that dropped off his face like Juliet’s cup when he saw who stood behind Naseema.

"What the fuck," he said, mostly to himself, his feathers rising like hackles. He stared at Elnor for what seemed like forever before finally turning to Naseema. "Can I have a word with you?" he asked although it sounded more like an order than a request. She let out another low sigh but nodded and followed him out of the room, leaving Elnor alone with Simon, Juliet, and Salome.

“What the hell is the matter with you!?" Jagger demanded once they were away from the others. "Bringing a Romulan here, HERE?"

“Calm down please,” Naseema replied. “It is not what you think.”

“Well, what the fuck is it then?"

“I found him on the Artifact,” she said calmly.

“You mean the one crawling with Tal Shiar,” he snapped back. “The one Bruce sent Soji to, to find evidence that the Romulans tried to exterminate us? That they orchestrated the Mars attack? That every single person on this planet is being hunted like an animal?” He threw his hands up in frustration as he continued. “You were supposed to get Soji back, not pick up some random stray and bring it home with you! Especially, not an enemy stray!”

“He is not our enemy. He was a prisoner of the Tal Shiar when I found him,” she explained. “They would have tortured and killed him. I could not leave him there.”

“Did it ever occur to you that it was a setup and he might be a spy, Naseema?" he asked, his initial anger was cooling but he was still obviously unhappy.

“It did,” she replied, “But it would be very unusual for the Romulans to employ a spy so young and I could see how frightened he was. His captors were demanding to know where Picard was and they meant Jean-Luc. He knew who I was, Jag. He knew my name...and he knew Soji’s too.”

“Are you serious?” Jagger asked, incredulous. “Is that all it takes to gain your trust nowadays? Name drop the great Jean-Luc Picard? Has it gotten that bad?”

“I have technically been dead for twenty years, Jag. He is not old enough to know about our history. The only way he would know who I was is if Jean-Luc told him."

“Unless the Romulans figured out you’re still alive and he’s lying. Imagine _that_ , a Romulan who lies.”

“The Romulans know nothing of our involvement. If they did, they would have been prepared for me when I arrived on the Artifact but they were not. Elnor is Qowat Milat,” she told him. “He was there acting as Jean-Luc’s _qalankhkai_ and after he aided his and Soji’s escape, he tried to help Hugh take control of the Artifact away from the Romulans _._ A Zhat Vash assassin murdered Hugh right in front of him and the Tal Shiar hunted him down. When I found him, he was outnumbered and overrun.”

“Hugh’s dead?” Jagger asked. “GODDAMN IT! How can you be sure your little friend out there wasn’t the one who killed Hugh? He was our best ally in the Beta Quadrant! Losing him is going to hurt us.”

“I spent more than a day with him on that tiny ship, Jagger. He is not lying. Do you no longer trust my judgment?”

“Naseema, the Qowat Milat is an order of nuns. Ladies only?" he replied. "Maybe the hair is throwing you off but we both saw how Salome reacted to him. Your little friend is definitely not a woman."

“He was orphaned as a child and evacuated to Vashti during the relocation. He was raised by the sisters there,” she said. “I can see you are having a hard time with this but I believe him and if you spend a little time with him, you will believe him too. He is remarkably open especially, for a Romulan.”

“Naseema, I-” Jagger started to say but she cut him off.

“Jean-Luc practically lived on Vashti during the relocation and he worked closely with the Qowat Milat there. Elnor knew him as a child. That is how he knew of me. Jean-Luc still believes I am dead but he told Elnor stories about me, about Data, about _us._ ”

Jagger shook his head sadly. “Please tell me the truth here,” he said. “Did you bring that boy here because of who he reminds you of? Did you bond yourself to him after only a few hours because you’re trying to replace Data?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, insulted by his assumption. “I did not _bond_ with-”

_The realization struck her like a plasma bolt. Jagger was right, she had bonded herself to Elnor. She wasn’t cognizant of it at the time but now that Jagger had pointed it out, she went back over her interactions with the young Romulan. ‘You seemed unaware of what you were doing.’ Those were Elnor’s words. He told her he could feel her energy inside him but she'd been so preoccupied with his initial reaction, and apparent immunity to her, she failed to hear what he was telling her. There were so many faraway memories he breathed new life into that she had just done it without conscious intent. Fuck._

“Oh my god...” she whispered. She dropped her eyes away from Jagger’s and all but confirmed his suspicions.

“Jesus Christ, Naseema.”

“He reminds me of Nasir,” she admitted. “And there is so much of Nasir in him that I can see him when I look in his eyes. I did not attempt to bond with him, it just happened. Oh Jag, I have completely lost my mind.”

Jagger’s face fell as she validated his fears. “Fuck,” he whispered.

“I am sorry,” she said. “I know you are upset but it is too late now and I am certain this is salvageable. Our meeting is serendipitous and there is useful information to be gleaned from it. If Jean-Luc found Bruce, and Soji, he may know things that we do not.”

“Goddammit, you’d better not be losing your mind,” he sighed. “I know I’ve been pushing you to move on but I hope this isn’t some blind attempt to ease your broken heart. I mean, come on, a _Romulan_?”

“I wish I could promise you that but I cannot," she said. "However, Elnor has brought Jean-Luc Picard back into our lives and he is as powerful an ally as we will ever have. With his help, we might finally be able to expose the Zhat Vash and what they have done, and we will no longer have to live like prey." Jagger sighed with frustration and misgiving again but he pulled Naseema into him and hugged her tightly.

Back in the main control center, the three Feeonix and the very nervous Romulan all continued to size each other up. Elnor shifted uncomfortably and kept his hand grasped on the strap of his scabbard.

_He wondered if these Feeonix were able to fight as Naseema could. He silently assessed the size and layout of the room, keeping the exit in his peripheral vision. Even if these three were only half as fast and strong as Naseema, he knew he wouldn't be able to take all of them at once. Escape would be his best strategy if the situation came to that. He should have stayed on the ship and waited for Naseema to smooth things over with her family. He hadn’t anticipated their hostile reaction to him but he understood why. He wasn’t Zhat Vash or Tal Shiar but he was Romulan, and others of his kind were responsible for what had befallen the Feeonix. They had been attacked and their home destroyed. Now he had invaded their new home and they were understandably on edge. He hoped Naseema would return soon and convince them he was not a threat. That he was there to help them. Hopefully, that would happen before they decided on a different course of action._

Salome continued to eyeball him while Simon tried to ease his discomfort by making defensive chit-chat.

“So,” he started, trying too hard to sound casual, “what’s with the getup?” He motioned to Elnor’s clothes with his chin.

Elnor blinked, confused, and looked down at himself, running his hand self-consciously along the strap across his chest. “What’s wrong with my _getup_?” he asked.

“Other than the fact that you look like you're ready to battle some Huns, nothing," Simon replied derisively.

Salome left her spot against the console and approached the young Romulan with a sultry swagger. “There’s nothing wrong with your clothes, baby boy,” she told him, her voice dripping with innuendo. “Except that you’re still wearing them.” A seductive smile spread across her face and as she got closer, Elnor tried to back away but bumped into the wall behind him, and then he was trapped. She sidled up against him, placed her hand on his chest, and caressed it slowly downwards. He met her penetrating gaze with wide fearful eyes and held his breath.

_He could feel the energy coming from her and it was far more aggressive than Naseema’s. He felt his heart pounding harder and faster, and his blood seemed to be on fire, rocketing through his veins, making every inch of him tingle. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he prayed for Naseema to return. This Feeonix wasn’t like her at all. This one did scare him and he was positive he didn’t want her to touch him._

Salome held her eyes on his and as she slid her hand inside his tunic he saw the orange ring around her irises flare outwards.

_He started to feel lightheaded and very, very warm inside. He tried to take a breath but his body didn't want to listen to him. He felt weak like he was going to pass out. He tried to fight back against her but Salome was stronger and he felt himself slipping under her control._

Still keeping eye contact, Salome leaned closer, tilted her head, and parted her lips slightly. Elnor relaxed his facial muscles and closed his eyes, ready to accept her overture.

“SALOME!” Naseema’s voice suddenly boomed from behind. The Feeonix abruptly released her quarry and spun around, grasping Elnor’s hand behind her back. “I told you to keep your hands to yourself,” Naseema hissed and glared at her.

Salome tried to look as innocent as possible. “I was just having a little fun,” she protested. “I wasn’t going to hurt him.”

“I saw what you were doing,” Naseema snapped. “And you,” she continued, turning her attention to Simon. “Were you just going to allow her to have her way with him right here in front of you?”

Simon looked at her with obvious indignation. “What did you think would happen?” he retorted. “You brought a fucking Romulan here, completely unannounced, and without explanation. Did you honestly expect us to just smile and nod, and give you two thumbs up?”

“No, Simon, I didn’t expect that but I did expect you to wait longer than five minutes before you pounced on the poor thing as if he were a shiny, new toy,” she shot back.

“I didn’t pounce on anybody,” he clipped, “and I’m not Salome’s babysitter.”

“How about we all just take a breath,” Jagger interjected. “Naseema’s never failed us before, Simon, and once you hear what she just told me, I think you’ll agree that she did the best she could under the circumstances.”

Simon folded his arms across his chest and looked at Jagger skeptically. “Fine, convince me that this isn’t a total disaster.”

“Salome, let him go!” Naseema barked at her counterpart who was still clutching Elnor’s hand. She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue and released him. She moved to stand next to Simon and imitated his stance, and expression. Elnor blinked several times and took in a few shaky breaths to clear his head. Naseema went over to him. “Are you alright?” she asked as she examined his eyes with concern.

“Yes, I think so,” he replied, his voice quiet and unsure. “Please don’t let her do that to me again.”

“I won’t, you have my word,” she said.

Up until now, Juliet had quietly been cleaning up the mess she’d made. As she wiped up the last of the coffee she stood up and asked, “What’s your name, honey?”

“Elnor,” he replied.

“Well, Elnor, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said with a smile. Simon and Salome both let out simultaneous snorts.

“Are you going to let us in on your big secret here or what?” Simon said returning his eyes to Jagger. “I’m still waiting to find out why there’s a Romulan in my office.”

“Naseema found him on the Artifact when she went to get Soji,” Jagger explained.

“So?” Simon countered. “It’s in Romulan space, under Romulan control. Why wouldn’t there be Romulans aboard? I think we should let Salome interrogate him.” In response to Simon’s suggestion, Salome cracked her knuckles and took a step towards Elnor.

“No,” Naseema said and threw a warning look at Salome.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Elnor was there with Picard," Jagger said. “As his _qalankhkai_.” Simon’s eyebrow went up as Jagger elaborated. “He’s Qowat Milat.”

“No kidding?” Simon replied as he looked at Elnor and sized him up again. “As in the feared enemy of the Tal Shiar?”

“Yes!” Elnor exclaimed. “You know the Qowat Milat?”

“I’ve known a few over my life,” Simon replied. “And I guess that explains your outfit. No offence, hombre, but they’re usually women.”

“I take no offence,” Elnor said. “I was orphaned as a child. They took me in.”

“Alright,” Simon said and dropped his defensive posture. “Come over here.” Elnor hesitated and glanced at Salome. “Oh for crying out loud,” Simon muttered and rolled his eyes. He looked at Salome as he went by her. “Do you see what you did?” he asked and then added, "He's never going to come near you again." He strolled up to Elnor, pressed his hands together, and held them up in front of his chest. “Jolan Tru, Qowat Milat,” he said.

Elnor immediately recognized what he was doing and did the same. “Jolan tru," he replied. Then they both opened their hands to each other.

Simon smiled and gave the young Romulan a nod. “Okay, you’ve got my attention,” he said and turned to Jagger.

“Naseema thinks Picard has vital information. He didn’t end up on the Artifact by accident and if he’s figured out what happened on Mars, he may be able to help us prove it was the Romulans,” Jagger told them.

“If it’s worth anything, he already seems pretty innocent to me,” Salome chimed in. “But I bet I can get more out of him.”

“Just cool your jets, Salome,” Jagger replied with an irritated look. “If he becomes a problem maybe you can question him later...under supervision.”

Salome looked at Elnor and cocked her eyebrows. He then turned nervously to Naseema and she emphatically shook her head at him while making a face that said _not a chance_.

“Anyway, as I was saying-” Jagger continued but he was cut off by another Feeonix who popped into the room.

“Hey, Javier and Aronnox are back with the Starfleet guy, and Soji,” he said and then he noticed Elnor. “Holy shit is that a Romulan?!"

“Manny, this is Elnor,” Naseema told the newest Feeonix.

“He’s a _monk,_ ” Salome added giving Elnor another libidinous once over.

“Alrighty then,” Manny replied giving Elnor a quick nod of interest. “Hey, you guys know there’s a Borg cube out there?”

“Really?” Simon asked surprised. He moved over to one of the consoles and pressed a couple of buttons. “I was wondering what that was.”

“I’m guessing the orchids took it down?” Jagger asked.

“They sure did,” Manny replied. “But not softly. It’s a bit of a mess.”

“I love salvage,” Simon said eagerly rubbing his hands together.

“While this is all very fascinating, we have bigger things to worry about right now,” Naseema interjected. “Where are the humans?”

“Right,” Manny said. “Javier is taking them to the gathering room.”

“Shall we?” she asked, looking at Jagger and he replied with an affirming nod. Then she turned to Elnor. “I am sure you are eager to reunite with Jean-Luc,” she surmised and extended her arm out in invitation.

“See you later,” Salome purred at his back.

He cringed as he followed Naseema and Jagger out of the room. They moved into a larger room with a long table against one wall and multiple small seating areas. As soon as he laid eyes on Picard, an enormous smile overtook his face. He ran over and threw his arms around the old man.

“It fills me with joy to see you alive!” he exclaimed.

“He’s an affectionate little thing, isn’t he?” Jagger teased as he and Naseema hung back from the new arrivals.

“Please do not be a dick,” she replied.

“No promises.”

“Elnor, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Picard told him and accepted the hug with vigor. Then Soji, who was next to him, spoke.

“I know you,” she said as she looked past Elnor at Naseema. Picard followed Soji’s eyes and he had to catch his breath when he saw who she was looking at.

“Naseema,” he whispered.

“Yes!” declared Soji, “Do you know each other?”

“I thought you were dead,” Picard said and moved around Elnor to approach her. “Why didn’t you come to me after...” he trailed off but they both knew what he was thinking. They stood facing each other for what seemed like hours before the old man finally smiled and embraced his friend.

“I am sorry I have allowed you to believe I was dead for so long,” she whispered in his ear as her voice broke.

“You don’t have to explain,” he told her. He stepped back but kept his hands on her shoulders. “I’m just glad to see you alive and well.”

Raffi and Rios had been standing close together and quietly observing up to this point. Raffi finally leaned towards the _La Sirena_ captain and asked, “Is that who I think it is?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Who do you think it is?”

“The Feeonix who supposedly died aboard the _Scimitar_ ,” Raffi explained. “She had a thing with the android, _Data_. Like they were married or something.”

“Really?” Rios said with a nod. “Okay, I think I know who you’re talking about. I thought she was dead?”

Raffi looked at him in disbelief. “Have you been paying attention to anything that’s going on right now?”

“Sorry,” Rios replied. “I’m just—my head’s kinda funny all of a sudden.”

“Are you okay,” Raffi asked.

“Yeah, I’m just...distracted...or something,” Rios said, barely stringing his sentence together. “She’s really...it’s like there’s something in the air that’s making me...”

Elnor watched Rios’ reaction and noticed the man couldn’t move his eyes off Naseema. He leaned toward him and very quietly asked, “Do you want to make love to her?”

Raffi turned her stare onto Elnor. “What the hell kind of question is that?” she whispered.

Rios finally tore his gaze away from the Feeonix and focused on Elnor. “Yes,” he replied with disbelief.

Raffi’s eyes suddenly grew wide. “Oh my god, it’s true,” she gasped. “I always thought that story was bullshit.”

“What’s bullshit?” Agnes asked, no longer able to quell her curiosity about the huddling trio’s conversation.

“I’ve heard these stories about the Feeonix. That the females put out this energy that makes men _want_ them,” Raffi explained. “I always thought it was stupid but apparently Cris is feeling it right now.”

“Really?” Agnes asked and Rios nodded again.

“As soon as she walked in the room I felt something," he said. "It's weird and hard to describe but the kid's right, I'm attracted to her."

“Are you feeling that too?” Agnes asked Elnor.

“No,” he replied as he shook his head.

“Huh,” Raffi said, “Maybe it only works on humans.”

“No, she told me it was just me and one other man in 1191,” Elnor corrected.

“The _year_ 1191?” Raffi asked.

“Yes,” Elnor confirmed.

“Wait, that can’t be right?” Agnes cut in. “How is that even possible?”

“She’s fifteen hundred years old,” Elnor replied.

“Wow,” Rios said and looked at the Feeonix again.

“I’ll say,” Agnes agreed. “She doesn’t look any older than you, Elnor.”

“Hold on,” Raffi argued. “How do you know that? How did you get here?”

“She picked me up on the Borg cube and brought me here,” he replied.

“How long have you been with her?” Rios asked.

“I don’t know exactly, a day or two?”

“A day or two and what, you just talked?” Rios persisted.

_He struggled to believe the kid had been that close to her for hours upon hours and hadn’t felt anything like what he was currently feeling._

“She treated my injuries,” Elnor readily admitted. “Then I got drunk and threw up.”

“Well, that explains why you smell like a distillery,” Raffi said. “Seriously, kid, you need a shower,”

“Wait, she _touched_ you?” Rios asked amazed and when Elnor nodded he replied, “Wow.”

Naseema and Picard were still amid their reunion, oblivious to the other conversation. With her eyes still glistening, she motioned towards the open door near them. “We should talk,” she said. Picard nodded and went with her into the smaller room.

At that moment, Jagger came over to the crew of the _La Sirena_. “Those two are probably going to be awhile,” he said. “Is there anything I can get for any of you in the meantime?”

“Can I have a shower?” Elnor immediately asked and Raffi nodded in agreement.

“Please, he’s making my eyes water.”

Jagger gave the young Romulan an amused look. “Yeah kid, of course." Then he called for Simon to come and show him where he could get cleaned up. Salome, right on Simon's heels, offered to do it instead, and Elnor's eyes filled up with horror. Jagger caught her with an arm around the shoulders and directed her back the way she’d come. “Thanks anyway but you’re going to stay with me until the kid comes back,” he told her as he ushered her out of the room.

“You can follow me this way,” Simon said as he approached Elnor. “Don’t worry, Jagger will hold her. He knows what he’s doing.” Elnor went with Simon but not before he gave a wary glance behind him.

“I wonder what that was about?” Agnes pondered aloud.

“Who knows,” Raffi said. “Oh man, where did JL go?” she asked once she realized he and Naseema were gone.

“They went into that room a few minutes ago,” Agnes replied and motioned to a closed door.

“Damn it,” Raffi muttered and moved to sit on a sofa next to the door. Rios quickly followed her.

“Are you eavesdropping?” Agnes asked as she approached the sofa.

“Well, I can’t hear anything if you keep talking,” Raffi replied and Rios shot her a look.

“Easy, Raff.”

“I’m gonna go see if I can find something to eat,” Agnes said. “Will you tell me if you hear anything interesting?”

“Yeah, of course,” Raffi replied. “Grab me something too, will ya?”

In the privacy of the little room, Picard and Naseema sat opposite each other. “I must ask, Jean-Luc,” she began. “How is it you found yourself arriving here?”

“I met a young woman,” he told her. “Her name was Dahj and when she came to me, she was terrified. She believed someone was after her and she was right but I was unable to protect her, and she was murdered right in front of me by Romulan assassins.”

“The Tal Shiar,” Naseema sadly verified and fought back more tears at the confirmation of Dahj’s fate. “We tried to convince Bruce that he was getting in over his head but he would not listen. After we failed to track him we decided that we needed to recover the girls ourselves but I was unable to risk returning to Earth to look for Dahj. It seems that I would have been too late to do so anyway.”

“After I met Dahj,” he continued. “I began to realize who she was and I met with Dr. Jurati. She helped me confirm that Dahj was who I believed she was and that she had a sister, _Soji_. It wasn’t difficult to predict that Soji would also be in danger and to make the decision to do everything in my power to help her.”

“Who is it you believe them to be?” Naseema asked. She already anticipated his reply but wanted to hear it directly from his lips.

“They were, they _are_ , Data’s daughters. Cloned from a single neuron,” Picard firmly asserted. “They’re yours as well, aren’t they?”

Naseema hadn’t expected his last pronouncement and she looked away from him for a second to draw in a steadying breath. “In a manner of speaking,” she replied as her eyes finally filled up with tears.

“Soji is infused with your energy, Naseema,” he said. “I can feel it. You helped Bruce Maddox bring them to life in very much the same way you encouraged Data’s positronic brain to begin its organic evolution. I may be a doddering old fool but I’m still with it enough to put two and two together. You, along with all the Feeonix, are capable of stabilizing a positronic matrix. So, you’ve all made a home here with the rest of Soji’s family. You help them flourish and you help create more of them, and you protect them.”

“I barely know them,” she said. “After I helped Bruce create the girls-he was so paranoid, Jean-Luc. He was determined to find out the truth about the Mars synthetics and he left with them shortly afterward. He disappeared in the middle of the night and we could not find him or the girls. The only reason we found Soji was because of Hugh. I do not believe she has any idea of my part in her creation.”

“Naseema, that is beautiful,” he told her. “Data would be proud of you.”

Hearing Picard say that name pushed her over the edge. Her tears finally spilled out and ran down her face. “I miss him so much,” she said softly.

Picard leaned forward and took hold of her hands.“I know,” he said. “I miss him too and I’ve missed you as well. I can’t imagine what the last twenty years have been like for you. I don’t blame you for wanting to disappear.”

“I should not have abandoned you,” she lamented. “For the first several years my grief was all I could focus on and I just drifted through the galaxy avoiding everything, and everyone I once cared for. Then, I found this planet and its inhabitants. They reminded me of _him_ and of all the things that made him special. Juliet was already living here. She helped me try to process my grief and brought me back to someone I finally recognized. Then, the attack on Mars happened and Juliet and I were suddenly members of an endangered species. So, with the encouragement of the synthetics, I clandestinely sought out the survivors and brought them here. We have lived here since, trying to protect this planet from those who threaten it.”

“You have no idea of the respect and admiration I have for you,” Picard said. "Even in the face of overwhelming tragedy you held it together and you did anything and everything you could to save as many as possible. I wish I could say I did the same."

“I heard what happened with the Romulan relocation after Mars and of the ban on synthetic life,” she said, sympathetically. “Perhaps if I had been stronger, and had not run away from my old life, things would have turned out differently.”

“You cannot blame yourself for my mistakes,” he argued. “I let my anger and frustration dictate my actions. I could have kept trying. I _should_ have kept trying. I should have done anything other than give up. I couldn’t save everyone so I chose to save no one, including Elnor.” He echoed Zani’s words to him with his last statement.

“He appears to have turned out alright,” Naseema said. She was still crying but she managed to give him a small smile.

“Thank you for reuniting us,” Picard said and gave her hands a gentle squeeze before releasing them.

“Perhaps it was fate that I happened to find him,” she replied.

“How did you find him?” he asked.

“I went to the Artifact to find Soji and bring her home,” Naseema explained. “I found Elnor instead. The Tal Shiar had captured him.”

All the colour drained out of Picard’s face. “Thank god you found him,” he said, rubbing his cheek in a gesture of relief.

"Yes, I prefer not to contemplate what they would have done to him had I not appeared when I did," she agreed and Picard shuddered at the thought. "You told him stories about me when he was a child, correct?"

“Yes, I did,” he nodded. “I told him about you and Data, and also about Dahj and Soji. It took some convincing before he agreed to bind his sword to me as my _qalankhkai_.”

“Your stories helped save his life, Jean-Luc,” she said. “He knew who I was and once he said my name I knew I could not leave him there. He is a remarkably intuitive young man and so very brave.”

“Yes, he is,” Picard replied with another concurring nod.

“However,” Naseema quickly added. “While I can certainly understand your desire to correct the mistakes of the past, as well as your need for his skills, he is an exceptionally gifted swordsman, I cannot help but harbor concerns that you have gotten him in over his head.”

“I must confess," he said. "My reasons for going back to Vashti after all this time were not entirely focused on Elnor. I needed the services of a Qowat Milat but I always hoped the sisters had been able to find a more suitable home for him. I did not expect to find him still living with them. Their leader, Zani, encouraged me to plead my case to him and I admit that I was somewhat motivated by my desire to alleviate my guilt but I believe I did make the right decision. Elnor is quite capable and eager to learn.”

Naseema got out of her seat and paced back, and forth across the stone hearth near them as she wrung her hands together. “He is very capable and very eager as well,” she agreed but Picard still knew her well enough to know when he was about to get an unadulterated piece of her mind, and readied himself. “He is also terrified, Jean-Luc. I do not believe you appreciate how sheltered he has been.”

“Naseema, you must understand-” he tried to interject but she held up her index finger and he sighed. He knew there was no escaping the impending tirade.

_Her notorious temper was still there even after all this time._

“I understand that Vashti is nothing close to an idyllic paradise but his convent was small and insulated,” she continued. “Elnor is not prepared to be a ronin. He is lonely and experiencing culture shock.” Her voice started to rise and Picard braced himself for the coming ire. “You left him on a Borg cube. A fucking Tal Shiar controlled nightmare factory! BY HIMSELF!” She was yelling now and swung her hand out angrily and deliberately, and cleared the table next to her of its contents. “You of all people should have anticipated how the other Romulans would react once you were gone! What were you thinking!?”

_He watched the objects on the table hit the floor and had to stop himself from reacting. She really did go off the deep end when she was angry but smashing things wasn’t like her. He had only ever seen her do something like that once before. In the years they’d spent working together, he had learned to patiently listen and wait for her to calm down enough so he could explain. Her stormy temper was not un-weatherable, and he had to admit that it felt a little like old times. All those hours they spent cooped up in his ready room, getting on each other’s nerves until one of them finally snapped. Then they would have a spectacular argument to release the tension and share a bottle of wine._

“Naseema,” he calmly said and held up his hands. “If you’ll let me, I would like to explain.”

She stopped pacing and looked at him, and for a second he thought he might be able to get a word in but even though her tone softened she still wasn’t finished. “Please do not tell me how bad the situation on Vashti is,” she said. “It did not prepare him for the kind of violence he witnessed on that cube.”

“Firstly, I instructed him to remain on the ship and he disobeyed that order BUT I am grateful he did because I’m not certain we would have escaped without his help. Secondly, I did not leave him there alone,” Picard insisted trying to keep his voice low.

_It figured the first time they saw each other after so long they would end up in an argument. He knew if he let himself get dragged too far into their quarrel he would lose his temper too and they'd just wind up shouting over each other while accomplishing nothing._

“Hugh is the director of the reclamation project on the Artifact and I left them together. I was confident they were not in imminent danger and our ship was still there as well. Elnor made the decision not to leave with Mr. Rios and to remain with Hugh, on his own. I know he is young but he isn’t a child.”

“Jean-Luc,” she replied as her eyes teared up again. “Hugh is dead. Once you were gone, the Tal Shiar initiated a genocide against the ex-Borg when they discovered Hugh had aided you, and when he tried to stop them, he was murdered in front of Elnor. He died in his arms.”

“ _My God_ ,” Picard said, the look in his eyes reflecting the horror of her words. “Hugh was a Federation citizen! He was protected by the treaty!”

“What has happened to you?” she asked, desperate to understand why her friend had made the choices he did. “What made you believe the Tal Shiar would play by your rules? It is as if you have forgotten what they are, Jean-Luc," she continued as fresh trails of tears made their way down her cheeks. "They do not care about treaties. They have no deference for codes of combat. They do not respect any life that is not Romulan and even then.” She pulled in a shaky breath and rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, dangerously close to losing herself to her rage. “That sweet boy was there all alone for days with no food and no water while being hunted down like an animal. If I had not arrived when I did- _”_ She hesitated for a second and let the images in her mind overwhelm her. “Their cruelty knows no limits.”

“Naseema, I’m sorry,” Picard said.

_He could understand now why she was so upset. The situation he’d left Elnor and Hugh in had been more serious than he realized at the time. He didn’t regret rescuing Soji but the plan had fallen apart so quickly and decisions were made on the fly._

“By the time I found Soji, she had been activated. We were being pursued and at the time my sole focus was getting her off that cube,” he told her. “I didn’t know Hugh’s decision to help me was going to cost him his life and I didn’t know Elnor would choose to stay behind to help save the ex-bs.”

Naseema hung her head. “I know it was not your fault,” she said quietly. “I have been surrounded by nothing but death for too long and I have also made a great number of poor choices as of late. I should not be taking that out on you. It is just-he is an innocent in this and when I think of what they would have done to him, I-” her throat closed up and she couldn’t continue.

He rose from his chair and went over to her. He pulled her towards him in an uncharacteristic embrace. “Thank you for saving his life.”

“I am sorry for shouting,” she said in a choked whisper. “And I am sorry my temper is still my worst enemy.” She let out a ragged sob. “I have missed you, Jean-Luc and I am so happy to see you again.”

“It’s quite possible the shouting is what I’ve missed the most about you,” he chuckled. “You were never hesitant to give me a piece of your mind twenty years ago and I’m not surprised that hasn’t changed.”

“Would you like some wine?” she asked and pulled back to look at him as she wiped her tears with her fingertips. “Like old times?”

“Yes,” he replied. "Yes, I absolutely would." She went over to the replicator and returned with a glass of red for each of them. Instead of returning to the chairs in front of the fireplace, they instead relocated to a small sofa and sat next to each other as they used to in the _Enterprise_ ready room.

“May I ask you something?” he ventured tentatively and she nodded.

“Of course.”

“I’m assuming you’ve spent some time with Elnor and talked with him?”

“Yes.”

“Does he hate me?” he asked. The sadness both in his voice and in his eyes caught her off guard.

“What?! No, quite the opposite, Jean-Luc,” she replied with surprise. “He adores you. Did his reaction at seeing you again seem insincere? I honestly do not think he is capable of any level of deceit.”

“No, of course not,” Picard replied but her assurance didn’t seem to have the effect she expected. “Do you believe that I have done him harm by taking him away from the only home he’s ever really known?”

She leaned back in her seat and studied the expression on her friend’s face. “No, it was not my intention to make you feel that way and I am sorry I let my temper get the better of me... _again_. I only wish for you to remember that while he is no longer the little boy you knew, he is still young and inexperienced in a lot of ways. That makes him vulnerable. Perhaps more so than you appreciate. He blames himself for Hugh’s death and has been traumatized by the things that happened on the Artifact. Admittedly, I am partly to blame for that. He saw me set a man on fire.”

Picard took a sharp breath and straightened up. “Oh dear,” he said and took a drink.

“It was terrible, Jean-Luc,” she confessed. “He was very big and very well trained. I was losing consciousness and I had to do something but it was noisy, and it did not happen quickly.”

Picard winced at the mental image. “If Elnor’s reaction was anything similar to mine, he must have been terrified. It is a terrifying thing to witness,” he said soberly.

“Yes, I know,” she sadly agreed. “He went into shock but fortunately he seems to have a very forgiving nature.”

“I know that is something you never would have done unless the situation was dire,” Picard replied.

“It was pretty dire,” she nodded. “But I still deeply regret that he had to watch me take such appalling action. I hope it does not cause him to have nightmares.”

“I’m sure he will come to understand that you don’t use your abilities arbitrarily,” he said confidently. “I’m also pretty sure that I’m still winning,” he added and looked at her slyly.

“Winning?” she asked, confused. “What is it you are win—ah, of course,” she realized as he raised an eyebrow at her. “Which one of us is fucking him up more.”

“Exactly,” he affirmed.

“That is certainly not a contest I hoped to participate in and I am not ready to agree that you are _winning_ , per se, but...are you sure you are up for this?" she asked him. "He still needs guidance, Jean-Luc. He needs acceptance, attention, and _affection_.”

“And you’re worried I’m not up to the challenge,” Picard said.

“A little, yes,” she replied. “You are a very wise man and there is a great deal he can learn from you but young people have never been your strong suit, and I am concerned that perhaps you see him as what he _could be_ rather than what he _is_. I understand that he serves as your protector but he still needs protecting himself and from my understanding, Earth has not exactly welcomed its Romulan refugees with open arms.”

_He already suspected it but she finally confirmed his suspicions. She had bonded herself to Elnor. The way she was speaking about the young Romulan hadn’t escaped him and as fiery a being as she was, he’d never known her to become upset enough to destroy objects unless her passions were completely inflamed. It took something special for that to happen and while she was always very protective of those she cared about, he noticed she seemed particularly vigilant regarding Elnor. It reminded him of how ferociously she did the same for Data._

“Is that why you bonded yourself to him?” he finally asked and she looked at him with wide, surprised eyes.

“I did not do it on purpose, Jean-Luc. It just happened,” she admitted with a sigh.

“Does he know?”

“No.”

“He reminds you of Data, doesn’t he?” Picard continued. “If I’m remembering correctly your bond with him was also unintentional.”

“It is not the same,” she said. “I was in love with him. I do not have romantic feelings for Elnor and he does not have any for me. There have been no glowing hearts. I am not entirely sure why it happened.”

“Are you sure about that?” Picard asked and raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Naseema sighed again. “I am going to tell you something that only Jagger is currently privy to. Elnor awakens very intense memories for me of someone from my past but it is not Data. It is a man I knew centuries ago. A man named Nasir and we were very close,” she confessed. There was a flicker in Picard’s eyes as she said Nasir’s name and he nodded knowingly.  
  
“Yes, I can see how he does,” he replied with an acumen she had not expected.

“Have I spoken of Nasir before?” she asked, a little bewildered.

“Once or twice,” he said. “Naseema, I need to tell you something.”

She frowned but nodded. “Alright, I am listening.”

“Do you remember the last time we saw Q?” he asked.

She sneered and rolled her eyes. “Yes, I remember.”

“I suppose you also remember completely losing your temper with him?”

“He deserved it,” she replied, unapologetic. “He completely belittled Data and called him a fool for wanting to marry me. He acted like a complete asshole.”

“He did deserve it,” Picard agreed. “But afterward, he sent me and Data back to 1191. He was trying to prove how dangerous and volatile he believed you to be. He wanted us to see how easy it was for you to use your powers to kill indiscriminately. We joined the rebellion you were involved in. We were with you for several months.”

Naseema’s eyes grew wide and she let out a quiet gasp. “Why do I have no memory of that?”

"I made Q promise that none of you would remember us and surprisingly he kept his word. I'm telling you this because not only did I meet Nasir, I came to know him quite well. I’m well aware of both what he meant to you and of the love you shared.”

Naseema was shocked by his tale and at a loss for words. She sat very still and stared down at the glass in her hands. “Jean-Luc, I-”

“You don’t have to say anything, Naseema,” he assured her. “As soon as you said his name, I understood. I can see exactly how Elnor reminds you of Nasir.”

“Oh, Jean-Luc, he does not just remind me,” she confessed as her eyes started to glisten again. “It is as if Nasir is there in his eyes and he also does not appear to be affected by my energy field in the usual way. I did not realize it was happening and even after he asked me if I was aware of how I touched him, it did not occur to me. It was not until Jagger questioned my motives that I became fully conscious of what I had done.”

“Does Elnor have any idea that anything happened?” Picard asked.

“He told me that he could feel my energy and he explained the emotions he experienced but I do not believe he realizes it happened. I do not know if I should tell him.”

“He’s going to find out eventually and I think he’ll likely be unhappy if he knows we kept it from him,” he cautioned. “I know there is nothing to be done about it now and I don’t believe it’s a bad thing, Naseema. The age difference may raise some eyebrows but-”

"Really Jean-Luc?" she cut in. "There is no romantic involvement to speak of and even if there were, of course, your primary concern is my age. You do realize I was more than three hundred years old when I met Nasir and that I will never look older than I appear now? I will not even mention the fact that you sound as if you are brokering an Edwardian marriage contract.”

“Of course,” he agreed sheepishly. “You’re right, I suppose I must sound like a nineteenth-century fool.”

“Just a touch,” she smiled affectionately. “The larger concern is how the others will react when they find out.”

“The Feeonix accepted Data with open arms,” he said. “Are you anticipating a problem?”

“You must recall how Jagger reacted to Data at first,” she reminded him. “True, that was an ancient and irrational prejudice, and Jagger has made strides to get over himself since then but Elnor is Romulan, and the Romulans have committed an unspeakable crime against us. They tried to exterminate our entire species as if we were a nest of spiders and they are still hunting us. The others were angry with me for even bringing him here in the first place. There will almost certainly be repercussions when they discover I have bonded myself to a Romulan. The fact that it was unintentional will not matter.”

“You said that Jagger is already aware. Is there nothing he can do to help assuage the others?” Picard suggested.

“I am sure he will try and I hope that once they spend a little time around Elnor they will see how different he is but I am certain that if they find out too soon, it will be ugly,” she said and he could hear the worry in her voice.

“Do you think any of them will hurt him?” he asked as his concern grew as well.

“I do not know for sure,” she replied. “Jagger will be fine. He is not very happy about it at the moment but he will get over it. Simon, Aronnox, and Juliet will be fine. Javier and the others I am not so sure about, and Salome, well she is an entirely different problem altogether.”

“Now you are starting to worry me,” he said, giving her a look of concerned surprise. “What kind of problem is she?”

“Salome has an extremely aggressive libido,” she revealed. “She finds Elnor very attractive.”

Picard’s eyes widened. “Has she-?” he tried to ask but couldn’t bring himself to use any descriptors.

“We only arrived here just before you did but I left the room for a few minutes and she attempted to hypnotize him,” she said. “I did have a word with her but she is the determined sort. I know that is disconcerting to hear but I do not believe she will hurt him...at least not seriously.”

“You’re right, that _is_ disconcerting but I suppose we have bigger problems to worry about right now,” he replied still sounding unsure.

“Jean-Luc, I may not have intended to do it but I am all in now. I will protect him and if that means I have to leave this planet to do so, that is what I will do,” she assured him. “I promise.”

“Naseema, I’m dying,” he suddenly divulged and she laughed at the absurdity of his abrupt confession.

“I have been dead for twenty years and it is working out pretty well for me.” She looked over at him and as soon as she saw the expression on his face she realized he wasn’t trying to be funny. “My god, you are serious!” she gasped.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have just dropped it on you like that but it’s the truth. I don’t want any pity. I don’t even want it acknowledged but-”

“You want to be sure I will look out for Elnor when you are gone,” she said, finishing his thought and he nodded.

“He’s so strong and bright but you’re right, Naseema. He’s not prepared to be a _ronin_.”

"Fate is a fucked up thing sometimes," she said as her voice broke and her eyes filled up with tears again. “How long have you known?”

“A few weeks,” he replied.

“And you just had to come all the way out here for one last hurrah, huh?”

“You know it.”

"Well, at least you brought me something nice," she said as she smiled through her tears and he rewarded her with a soft chuckle.


	4. The Conversation

Jagger kept his word and sat on Salome while Elnor got himself cleaned up. He did his best to be quick, but the regular shower wasn't as efficient as the sonic ones on _La Sirena_ , and his hair was full of knots, making it difficult to untangle by himself. The hot water felt good on his skin and helped soothe his tired, battered body. Once he was clean, he examined his ribs in the mirror. Naseema was right, he did have an ugly, purple bruise forming, but at least he wasn't in any pain, and the bruises on his face were starting to fade. Simon was waiting in the other room for him and had tossed his clothes into the cleaning receptacle, leaving them ready for him when he finished in the shower. When he made it back to the gathering room, Rios and Raffi were still sitting on the sofa by the door, doing an effective job of not looking like they were eavesdropping.

“Why is your hair wet?” Raffi asked as he approached them.

“We don’t like those sonic showers,” Simon called to her as he went through the door to his office. “Only the real deal for us.”

“Where is Picard?” Elnor asked the pair on the sofa.

“In there,” Rios replied, pointing his thumb at the closed door. “With the Feeonix.”

“Naseema,” Elnor said innocuously.

“Huh?”

"Her name is Naseema," he repeated, and Rios exchanged looks with Raffi, but neither of them responded to his statement.

“Why are you sitting out here?” he asked.

“To see if we can hear what they’re talking about,” Raffi told him.

“Isn’t that in-butting?”

"Maybe," Raffi replied. "But, after the ride, we've all had, do you think we should be keeping secrets from each other?"

Elnor frowned but considered her words. “I guess not,” he finally said. “Can you hear what they’re saying?”

"Some," Raffi shrugged. "There's been some yelling so, we heard most of that and a few other things too." Elnor looked at her with wide, curious eyes but couldn't quite bring himself to ask what they'd heard. "Do you want to know what they were yelling about, kid?" she asked, softening her tone. He appeared unsure for a moment but ultimately nodded. "Well, we heard your name a few times so, I'm guessing they were arguing about you."

The pleasant and inquisitive expression he'd been wearing when he arrived dropped off his face, replaced by one of anger and determination. He moved for the door so quickly neither Raffi nor Rios were able to get up fast enough to stop him from barging through it. He swung the door open, and his eyes swiftly found the retired admiral and the former ambassador on the sofa by the fireplace. He marched towards them, but as soon as he saw Naseema's face, he froze in his tracks. He looked at Picard with astonishment.

“What did you say to her?” he asked, no longer sure he was angry anymore.

“Nothing that cannot be fixed by a warm hug, Elnor,” Picard replied.

The young Romulan crouched down in front of the Feeonix. “Are you alright?”

"I will be fine, thank you," she told him with a sad smile. With characteristic enthusiasm, he threw his arms around her and crushed himself into her. He startled her again, but she accepted his gesture. Picard smiled at Elnor's affectionate display and felt confident he was making the right decision.

When he let go of her, Naseema took Elnor’s face in her hands and ended up with fistfuls of his long, dark hair mixed in. She looked at him with mild surprise. “What happened to your hair?” she asked. “Why is it all wet and all over the place?”

"I took a shower. Raffi said I smelled like a distillery," he replied. Picard's eyebrow went up, and Naseema glanced over at him with a guilty look.

“You must have had quite a night,” he smirked.

“I threw up,” Elnor told him.

“I can imagine you did,” Picard replied, still smirking. “I don’t believe there’s a soul alive who can keep pace with her and still retain many of their faculties.”

“He did quite well," Naseema interjected. "Especially for a beginner."

"Why were you crying?" Elnor asked, remembering why he'd rushed into the room in the first place and ensuring that they couldn't divert the discussion. The pair quickly exchanged glances, and she looked at him again as the sadness returned to her eyes. The silent communication wasn't missed by the young Romulan, and he placed his hand over hers. "Please tell me the truth."

"Nobody is going to lie to you," she told him. "Jean-Luc has something he needs to say to you, but please come find me afterward, if you want to."

“You’re leaving?” he asked.

"Just the room," she assured him. She pulled her hands away, stood up, and quietly left. As she closed the door behind her she noticed the pair of stragglers on the sofa outside looking at her with sympathy.

"He has already told you," she surmised. Raffi started to tear up so, Rios answered for her.

“Yeah,” he replied with a sad nod.

"He is going to tell Elnor," Naseema informed them. "We should move away from the door." She caught the quick look between them and added. "Do not feel too guilty. Please believe me, we have all sat on that sofa and eavesdropped as well.” Sheepishly, the two humans got up and followed her to Simon’s office.

Elnor was staring at Picard intently, his eyes wide with nervous curiosity. Picard hadn’t expected to speak to him so soon and was having trouble collecting his thoughts.

_How was he going to explain this? He'd convinced Elnor to leave the only home the young monk had ever known, knowing he was dying, and now he not only had to tell him he would be leaving him again but convince him to stay with someone he'd only just met. Elnor was going to feel betrayed and abandoned all over again, and how would he explain Naseema's bonding without scaring him? How would he convince Elnor that it was a small miracle?_

Preparing himself to speak, Picard took a deep breath, but Elnor was going to wait for him to say something. "You're dying," he finally said. "That's why Naseema was crying, isn't it?"

“Yes,” Picard sighed and leaned towards the young Romulan. “Did she tell you that?”

“No,” he replied with a confused expression. “She hasn’t said anything like that to me.”

Picard smiled gently. "I don't mean with words, Elnor. I mean, did she tell you here?" he asked, placing his hand over his heart.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “How could she tell me something through my heart?”

"Ask yourself how you knew the reason for her tears," Picard said. "You did know. I can see that you did. Don't think about it, close your eyes and _feel_ it.”

Frustrated, Elnor’s face crumpled into a frown. “I can’t.”

"Yes, you can," Picard insisted. "Close your eyes and visualize the interaction you just had with her. Don't tell me what you saw. Tell me what you felt."

Still discouraged he did what he was told, and closed his eyes.

_He replayed everything that had just happened. He hugged her and, she held his face, and he touched her hand. What did Picard want from him? He didn't know why she was crying. He had no idea that Picard was going to tell him he was dying, at least not until...wait...he did know...'feel it' was Picard's instruction. Once he put his arms around her he felt that same weird sensation. The one that started in his belly and made its way into his veins. That sensation became stronger as it traveled through his entire body and made him tingle all over. That feeling heightened his senses. It sharpened his focus. It connected him to her as if he'd known her an entire lifetime...but it wasn't real, was it? She said her energy field affected other living beings. That it made them feel unusual things. He wasn't that different from anyone else so, why couldn't he shake the idea that these things inside him were specific only to him? Why did he feel so opened when he was near her. Her hands were unusually warm, and when she touched him with them, he could feel her energy sink into him, but it wasn't just a physical sensation. It was more than that. It was like she was sharing her very soul with him. That was when he'd known. When her hands had touched his face. The feeling, the thought had just appeared, but it couldn't be that simple, could it? She couldn't just give him thoughts by touching him? Without him noticing? He felt something change then. He was different now...somehow. What was happening to him? What had she done to him?_

When he opened his eyes, Picard was staring at him expectantly, but it didn't take long for him to realize Elnor wasn't handling this as well as he'd hoped. While he certainly seemed to have reached the desired conclusion, his eyes were full of confusion and uncertainty.

"How did I know?" he whispered at first, but then his tone grew more forceful. "How could she tell me that without saying anything? What has she done to me?"

"You have no reason to be afraid, Elnor," Picard assured him. "There is nothing wrong, but something has happened to you. Naseema is from a unique species, and she has certain abilities."

"She told me about them," Elnor said. "She told me she has an energy field, and it affects other people, but it doesn't seem to affect me the same way. She said that made me different, but she didn't say anything about being able to put thoughts in my head."

"She didn't put anything in your head," Picard explained. "The Feeonix are telepathic but only with each other. They're not able to communicate that way with the rest of us, but there is a reason you were able to know what she was feeling, and why. She's bonded herself to you."

“What does that mean?” Elnor asked.

_Picard’s explanation was doing nothing to assuage his fears that she’d somehow irreparably altered him._

"She has infused you with her energy. She's given you a part of herself, and that connection will only grow stronger over time."

“Why would she do that?” he asked.

"I don't believe she did it intentionally, Elnor," Picard replied. "My understanding is that she has only ever bonded herself like this to two other people. One was Data, and the other was a man named Nasir."

“She told me about Nasir,” he said. “Does that mean she’s in love with me?”

"No, not the way you're thinking," Picard said. "There are many different ways people can love each other, and while I don't think she has romantic feelings for you, she does sense something special in you. Something that made her feel so strongly she wasn't even consciously aware of what she was doing at the time. It is nothing to be afraid of, Elnor. You are never going to have to feel alone again in your life. She will always be your family now."

“Did she do this because you’re dying?” Elnor asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Picard replied. “She only learned of my impending death just before you did.”

_It was obvious Elnor had been blindsided by this and had questions he was going to need answers to, that he deserved answers to. He regretted letting Naseema leave the room. She was much better at these sorts of conversations. Hell, everyone was better at this than he was. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to order Elnor not to express his feelings, but he couldn't think of anything comforting to say. Everything felt flat and disingenuous. He was angry with himself for being so ill-prepared for a conversation he knew was coming, and he was sure he was about to disappoint Elnor again._

“Did you know you were dying before you came to Vashti?” the young Romulan asked, already anticipating the answer.

“Yes, Elnor, I did,” Picard replied.

_This was too much. He felt angry and sad and scared. He'd just gotten Picard back, and now he would have to say goodbye again, forever. Why did he bring him out here into this insanity only to leave him on his own again? What was so wrong with him that Picard left him for fourteen years and now wanted to dump him off onto someone he barely knew? Did he think she was somehow better qualified to deal with him? Why would she put this bond on him without even telling him? What was it doing to him? He didn't know how he was supposed to feel right now. He needed to get out of here, away from Picard and Naseema, and all these aggressive, angry aliens._

The crushed look on Elnor's face said everything. He abruptly stood up and wordlessly walked out of the room as determined as he'd entered it. Picard tried to follow, but Elnor had enough of a head start that by the time he reached the door, all he could do was call after him and be ignored.

Hearing the mild commotion from Simon's office, Naseema looked out into the hallway and saw both Picard standing in the meeting room doorway, and Elnor disappearing around the corner. She held her position until the retired admiral noticed her and gave her a look of defeat.

“I take it that did not go as you hoped?” she asked as she approached him.

“No, it did not,” Picard replied, annoyed with himself.

“Are you not going to follow him?”

"I think if he wanted to talk to me, he would be doing it," Picard said flatly. "He isn't one to keep his feelings bottled up."

Naseema shook her head gently. “You really do not understand teenagers, do you?” she asked sympathetically. “Just because he walked away does not mean he does not wish for you to follow him.”

“You sound like Guinan.”

“That is one of her little gems.”

“I’ve never had to understand teenagers,” he sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I always had you for that.”

"That is what you had Deanna for, Jean-Luc. I did the paperwork," she said, arching an eyebrow at him. "Deanna is not here and, I am afraid Elnor is not an administrative duty."

“He’s very upset about the bonding, Naseema,” he told her. “I’m afraid I failed to explain it adequately.”

“Why did you bring it up in the first place?” she asked, furrowing her brow. “When I left the room, I assumed you were going to tell him about your condition. That information is terrible enough why would you confuse him by telling him what I have done?”

"I thought it might soften the blow if he knew he wouldn't be alone after I'm gone," he replied. "Telling him only made it worse, and he stormed out before I could say anything else."

"He is unhappy right now, but this is not an irreparable situation," she said. "I am sure he feels that you are attempting to offload him onto me."

“You know that’s not what my intentions are, don’t you?” he asked and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Of course not," she assured him. "But Elnor does not know either of us very well right now. He is questioning both our motives. He has been through a lot in the last few days, and I am afraid it is likely that my energy has only heightened his senses and made his feelings more intense."

“So, this is partially your fault too,” Picard said as he looked at her with hopeful confidence.

“Nice try,” she replied and returned his look with a critical one of her own. “What is it you expect me to do?”

“Do a better job of explaining what happened than I did,” he said.

She let out an exasperated sigh and folded her arms across her chest. "I will attempt to smooth over the bonding situation, but after that, you are on your own," she reluctantly agreed. "I am still unable to say no to you." She motioned for him to precede her as they traced the path Elnor had taken.

“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t expect you to magically make him understand. Just get him to open the door a little.”

"I will do my best," she told him. "Wait here, and you can take over once I have managed to convince him that there is no conspiracy against him." Then she exited out the door leading to a small garden. She found Elnor sitting on the ground with his back against a low retaining wall out of sight of the building. He was quietly staring out across the skyline over the small settlement nestled below. His head perked up as he heard her approach, but he pointedly didn't look over.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” he said still refusing to look at her.

"That is fair," she replied. "You do not have to say anything if you do not care to, but will you allow me to explain what has happened between us?" He shrugged and gave an indignant snort in reply, but Naseema wasn't going to be deterred. "Elnor, I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for what I did. I promise you I did not do it on purpose."

“Then undo it,” he curtly replied and kept his eyes fixed in front of him. She sat down next to him and folded her hands in her lap.

"I do not know how," she said. "It does not seem to be something that I can control. Unfortunately, that is sometimes the case with my abilities, and I do not know what Jean-Luc has told you but-"

“He told me that you’re a part of me now,” Elnor interrupted.

“Yes, that is true,” Naseema confirmed.

“How did you put that thought in my head?” he asked.

“Which thought is that?”

"When you put your hands on me somehow, I just knew Picard was going to tell me he was dying," Elnor said and finally looked at her. "How did you do that?"

"It is an effect of the bond," she replied. "When we make physical contact with each other, you will be able to know what I am feeling at that moment, and I will be able to do the same with you." He answered her with silence so, she continued. "You may also find that you are more keenly aware of your senses and that your emotional responses are intensified. Those may be temporary although, I suspect you will simply adjust."

“But you don't know," he said.

“No.”

“Why did you do this to me?" he asked. There were hurt and anger in his eyes, and she knew she was failing to both offer an explanation or reassure him.

"You remind me so much of those that I have felt deeply for something inside of me was awakened, and it just happened," she said. "I did not even know I was doing it at the time."

"So, because I remind you of someone dead for a thousand years you just left a piece of your soul inside me and now I have to carry it with me for the rest of my life," There was so much venom in his voice, and she had no idea what to say next so, she just sat there and looked at him with pity and regret. "Please leave me alone," he told her and then folded his arms across his knees and buried his face in them to terminate the conversation. She let out a vanquished sigh and stood up. As she made her way back inside, she could see Jagger standing next to Picard at the window. The look on her face told the two men everything they needed to know, and when she opened the door, Picard asked,

“Which one of us is winning now?”

“It is definitely me,” she replied.

"You two fucked this up royally,” Jagger remarked with a shake of his head.

"I know," they replied in unison, and he let out an amused snort.

“I’ll go talk to him,” he said.

“I do not believe he wants to talk to anyone right now,” Naseema cautioned.

“Agreed,” Picard added. “I think enough has been said already.”

“Quite the pair of selfless martyrs, you are,” Jagger replied with ridicule. “What he needs is a good man to man with someone who doesn’t have a stake in this, no offence Pops.”

“It’s always a pleasure, Mr. Jagger,” Picard said and rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious,” the Feeonix continued. “Naseema, go take Picard and the others down to the Station. I’m sure the droids will be glad to see Soji again. Let me handle Junior.”

Naseema sighed but nodded. “Alright,” she said. “Just do one thing for me and make sure Salome keeps her distance. That is the last thing we need right now.”

"I can do that," Jagger replied, and then he put his hand on Picard's shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. "Don't worry, Admiral. I got this."

They watched him exit the building and walk over to the wall Elnor was hiding behind.

“Are you sure this isn’t a mistake?” Picard asked as he turned to her.

“Jean-Luc,” she replied with unnerving solemness. “I am unsure if anything I have done in the last twenty years has not been a mistake.”

"I know the feeling," he agreed, and they left the window and went to go collect the rest of their party.

“Hey,” Jagger said and nudged the young Romulan with his foot. “Let’s go for a walk.”

“Please go away,” Elnor replied without looking up.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Jagger told him. "Come on, you've been cramped in the galaxy's tiniest starship for hours, and you seem like the type who always gets his daily exercise. I'm sure your muscles are getting stiff. I'm not here to convince you to forgive those two idiots. They used to do this kind of crap all the time. Always thinking everyone else should just trust that they know what's best. I don't blame you for being pissed off. Believe me, I'm not thrilled about this whole bonding bullshit either."

Elnor raised his head and looked up at the exceptionally tall, blond alien in front of him.

"Come on," Jagger said. "We'll do a lap around the pond, and you can vent your frustrations out. If you still want me to go away after that, I will." Elnor got to his feet and eyed Jagger suspiciously at first but finally agreed to go with him. They didn't say anything to each other for the first few minutes, but his curiosity eventually got the better of him, and he pointed down at the settlement below.

“Who lives down there?” he asked.

“The androids,” Jagger replied. “And their creator.”

“Why don’t you live down there with them?”

"Because we can hear their thoughts, and it gets a little noisy after a while," Jagger told him. "At least up here, we can get some peace."

“Can you talk to them, like that?” he asked. “Without speaking?”

"No. We can do that with each other, but with them, we can only hear."

“Could you hear Data’s thoughts?”

“Yup.”

“That’s amazing,” Elnor said, awed.

"It wasn't," Jagger disagreed. "It was annoying, and he said most of them out loud anyway, so I had to hear them twice."

“You didn’t like Data?”

"I did like him, actually," Jagger replied. "I mean, not at first. I hated him at first, but he was one of those people that just kinda grows on you after a while. Like a fungus." Elnor laughed at the Feeonix's lighthearted insult.

“Why didn’t you like him at first?”

"Well, to be completely honest, the Feeonix used to believe that synthetic life was beneath us, and when I met Data, I wasn't happy Naseema had developed such a close relationship with him. I thought he was pathetic for trying so hard to be human and...I was a _little_ jealous that she seemed to like him more than me. Then I found out about their bonding, and well, I pretty much completely lost my mind."

“You’re the one that told!” Elnor exclaimed with wide eyes.

“I see you’ve heard that story,” Jagger said and pressed his lips together.

“Why did you do that to her?” he asked as he looked at the Feeonix with mild judgment.

“Hey man, I’m not proud of it,” Jagger replied defensively. “I was angry and a _little_ jealous.”

“A _little_ jealous?" Elnor said as his eyebrow went up. "She's very beautiful, and I've seen other men fight over beautiful women."

"Of course you think she's beautiful," Jagger laughed. "You're not a Feeonix, and I bet you're probably used to Romulan and Human women. She's no more attractive than any of the other ladies I see every day. She's more like a sister to me by this point, and there's a lot more to women than the way they look. Besides, I've seen women that'd really get your engine started, if you know what I mean." He gently elbowed the young Romulan to further his point.

“I don’t think about women like that,” Elnor replied with just a touch of haughtiness in his voice.

“Of course you don’t,” Jagger replied with the satiric jest of a more experienced man. “So, Qowat Milat, eh?”

“Yes.”

“That couldn’t have been easy for you,” Jagger queried. “Living with all those women, all the time?”

“The sisters took very good care of me,” Elnor replied. “They raised and taught me well.”

"I'm sure they did, but still, it must have been pretty lonely at times?" Jagger said with a frown.

“Sometimes,” Elnor admitted as he ran his hand along the top of the tall grass.

"The fairer sex is great, don't get me wrong, but a man still needs other men to talk to once in a while."

“I guess.”

"They do buddy, there's no shame in admitting that, and I'm guessing there wasn't much in the way of positive male role models growing up in a convent, especially on Vashti?"

"No, not really, and even if there were, they wouldn't have wanted much to do with me. I wasn't very popular back home."

“Yeah, I suppose other Romulans probably consider the Qowat Milat pretty subversive by most standards. That couldn’t have been easy for you either, huh?”

“They called me _sisterboy_ ,” Elnor said with a shrug. “I’m not sure if any of them even knew my actual name.”

Jagger curled his lip up. “ _Sisterboy_? Jeez, that’s not even very clever. I’m sorry you had to put up with that.”

"It's okay I got used to it," Elnor replied and looked at the Feeonix. "Thanks, though."

“It sounds like you had a bit of a rough time on Vashti. Is that why you like Picard so much?” Jagger asked.

"He was there a lot when I was little. He paid attention to me and taught me things," Elnor replied, and his voice only dropped a little, but it was enough for Jagger to pick up that he still harbored some hurt feelings. Then the young monk asked, "Do you like Picard?"

"I do," Jagger nodded. "He's probably one of the greatest men I've ever known. Sure, he can be a pain in the ass sometimes. He's emotionally stunted, and he's terrible with kids, but I'd trust him with my life."

“Do you think I’m a kid?” Elnor asked.

“No. Maybe you were a few days ago but taking on the Tal Shiar, on a Borg cube, by yourself? You’re a man now. That takes a set of brass ones.” Jagger told him and coaxed a small smile out of him. “I bet you’re still pretty glad Naseema showed up and saved your butt though?”

“Yes,” he admitted.

"I know she can be a bit intense, but she means well," Jagger said. "I mean, she brought you with her without going on much more than her intuition. She barely knew your name."

“She’s been very kind to me,” Elnor recounted and started to feel regret for his earlier outburst. “I shouldn’t have told her to leave me alone.”

"She's a very loving and compassionate person, buddy, but she's not perfect," Jagger replied. "I'm sorry about what she did, and I don't blame you for being upset about it. I'm upset about it too."

“Why are you unhappy about it?” Elnor asked. “It didn’t happen to you.”

"A bonding is meant to be between two Feeonix," Jagger explained. "When a Feeonix finds their forever mate their energies completely intertwine, and when we're in our human form that kind of bond makes our hearts glow. Naseema has never formed a bond of any kind with another Feeonix."

“Why?”

“If I had to wager a guess, I’d say it’s because she’s been in her corporeal form for so long she feels more like one of you now than us,” Jagger surmised.

“Was she born on Earth?” Elnor wondered. “She told me she was a ribbon of light in her natural form. How does that work? Do you have parents?”

“We’re not born in the same way as organic beings,” Jagger said. “We still call it _birth_ , but we don't have parents who create us. When the right elements combine under the right conditions we just kind of explode into existence. It usually happens in, or near where our nebula used to be, but once in a while, a Feeonix is born elsewhere, and that's what happened with Naseema. Nobody knows where she came from, but she made her way to Earth, and that's where I met her. She didn't even know what she was until she met me, and while she is a Feeonix, she's also different from us in ways I've never seen before."

“Like bonding with people who aren’t Feeonix?” Elnor asked.

"That and other ways too," Jagger replied. "She has a much harder time controlling her abilities than the rest of us, hence, the accidental bonding. She describes that part of her like it's a separate entity inside her, and she calls it _the predator_. I admit, it's unusually strong, and she believes if she doesn't keep it under control it will take her over, and then all bets are off. It's happened once or twice, and I will say, it's pretty frightening when she does lose her control."

“I saw her set a man on fire before we escaped the Borg cube," Elnor said. "She told me afterward that it was _the predator_ that killed him.”

“If it was only one man, that's pretty tame," Jagger told him. "She could have incinerated that entire cube and everyone on it if she wanted to. It takes a pretty extreme setup of circumstances for her to lose it like that though. As I said, I've only ever witnessed her go completely ballistic a handful of times."

“What does that mean for me?” Elnor asked. “She told me she couldn’t reverse the bond. Will _the predator_ come after me if I make her angry? Can she control me now?”

"No, she can't control you, buddy," Jagger chuckled. "The bond is not as scary as you're imagining. It's an emotional and spiritual connection more than anything else. It's not as if you made her heart glow." His mood changed then, becoming somber, and he sounded like he was talking to himself. "She's been so lost since Data died. It's been twenty years, and she still can't say his name without tears involved. It's heartbreaking to watch. I've tried to help her but...I just don't know what to do for her anymore."

"She talked to me about Data, and she didn't cry," Elnor said, a little alarmed by Jagger's abrupt despondency.

“Did you sleep while you were with her?”

“Yes.”

"She waited until you were asleep," Jagger told him. "Look, I'm not trying to scare you, but you're young, Elnor, too young to understand what losing a mate is like and what that kind of grief does to a being especially, beings that feel things on the scale we do. It can cause them to behave in self-destructive ways and make them believe in things that maybe aren't there."

“Like seeing the dead in the living?” Elnor suggested.

"Exactly," Jagger said. "I've known her for a very long time, and I think I know her pretty well. She's felt pretty lonely for most of her life. She's one of those people who are completely alone, even in a crowd. Data changed that for her, at least for a little while. Now, his death has all but destroyed her. She's so desperate to let go of her grief, but she doesn't know how and when you came along, I honestly believe she just couldn't help herself."

"She bonded to me because I remind her of Nasir, and she thinks I'm lonely, like her?" Elnor asked.

"I think it's more complicated than that," Jagger replied. "And I'm not going to sugarcoat the reality for you. She's always had problems, and after Data, she leaned into them. She drinks too much, and she goes out of her way to isolate herself from others, even us. I think there are things she can sense about you that remind her of both Data and Nasir, but I'm afraid I don't know you well enough to see what those things are. She obviously found something in there that got her attention. Otherwise, she wouldn't have felt compelled to do what she did."

“So, what am I supposed to do now?”

"Just go with it," Jagger replied with a shrug. "That's all you really can do. I think the benefits for you outweigh the drawbacks. I remember when this happened with Data, and the effect on him was profound, but he wasn't organic, and our energy does things to beings like Data. Plus, he was her forever thing, you know. I doubt the effect will be so dramatic with you. She loved Nasir too, but she never bonded to him. It was more of a conventional human love, and I think that's what you're looking at. They were happier when they were together, and being around them, you could see they shared something special, but it wasn't earth-shattering like what happened with Data."

“Were you jealous of Nasir too?”

"I was a little, at first," Jagger admitted. "But he was human, and he wasn't her soulmate. I probably figured I could wait him out. When your life expectancy is half a million years, human life isn't very long especially, back then. Humans didn't live nearly as long as they do now. Nasir only made it to forty-three, and that was considered a pretty good run in those days."

"Is it also because they were unable to consummate their relationship?" Elnor asked, and if Jagger hadn't already accurately discerned how naive the kid was, he might have thought he was taking a shot at him.

"Wow, you go right for the jugular," the Feeonix replied with amusement. "But maybe you're right. I guess I always assumed we would bond with each other eventually, but it never worked out that way, and when Data came along, I had to accept it was never going to happen the way I wanted it to. I bonded to her, and I do love her, but nothing was ever going to supersede what she had with Data."

"Why are you bonded to her, but not the other way around?" Elnor asked.

"I didn't have much choice," Jagger told him. "I had to do it to save her life, and I'm afraid I'm not going to tell that story without her okay, so we'll have to leave it at that."

“I’m sorry,” Elnor said, “I didn’t mean to in-butt.”

“It’s _butt-in_ , and it's okay, kid. It feels good to talk about it. I take it she explained the no sex with organics rule?" Jagger asked, and Elnor confirmed his assumption with a nod. "I guess I'm not surprised she laid that out for you. Did you put the moves on her?"

“The what?”

“You know, _the moves._ Did you try to get in her pants?”

Elnor's eyes widened. "She said the same thing!" he exclaimed.

“Well, did you?”

“No,” he replied, clearly insulted.

“Huh,” Jagger looked him over. “Well, that explains at least part of it.”

“What does it explain?”

“If you weren’t attracted to her energy field, that would have been a big deal to her especially, considering your age.”

“What does my age have to do with it?”

“Younger men usually respond much more readily than you seem to. You’re what, sixteen? Seventeen?”

“Eighteen.”

"Yeah, usually eighteen-year-olds do most of their thinking with their johnson. If you didn't pounce on her inside of an hour, especially if she touched you, that would have gotten her attention."

“What’s a _johnson_?” Elnor asked curiously.

Jagger chuckled gently. “It’s your...um...appendage.” He pointed towards the young Romulan’s crotch.

“Oh,” he said as his face flushed slightly. “I didn’t know I could think with it.”

“I don’t recommend it,” Jagger laughed. “Boy, you’re not much of a skirt chaser, are you?”

“A what?”

“You’re not particularly interested in sex,” Jagger said.

“No, not really,” Elnor admitted.

"Nasir was a bit older than you when they met, but he was like that too."

"He didn't try to get in her pants, either?"

“You got it.”

“Does that mean there’s something wrong with me?”

“Not at all. It’s just not a common response. I’m starting to see why she thinks you’re Nasir.”

Elnor’s eyes widened. “Is-is she insane?” he asked with real concern in his voice.

“Jesus, I hope not!” Jagger laughed. “Poor choice of words. I’m starting to see why you _remind_ her of Nasir. I don't believe she thinks you're Nasir. She hasn't reached that level of lunacy yet."

“Are you not sure?”

"I'm not going to pretend I haven't wondered sometimes," Jagger replied. "She's a rather tragic character in her own mind, but she always seems to pull it together when it matters, and I've met crazier."

“I think Picard wants me to stay with her when he’s gone,” Elnor said as he looked at the ground.

"I think what you want probably matters more, but it's not uncommon for a dying man to try and tie up his loose ends before his times comes," the Feeonix explained.

The young Romulan looked at him with a sad, confused expression. “Is that all I am to him? A loose end?”

"I think Picard feels a lot of guilt for how he left things with you, and he's trying to make up for it now," Jagger said. "As far as Naseema goes, she just happened to show up at the right time. She has a bit of a knack for that, and he wants to know that you won't be alone once the inevitable occurs. He needs that assurance, and he has a lot of trust and faith in her. Picard isn't very good at expressing his feelings, and the closer he is to someone, the harder it is for him That in itself should tell you something. If he didn't care, he wouldn't be giving you a solid shove in that direction. He'd just tell Mr. Rios to drop you off back on Vashti." He could tell Elnor was still struggling to reconcile what Picard wanted for him with his feelings, so he added, "She's not so bad for company, you know. You should give it some consideration. Plus, it'd be a load off my mind knowing she had you to look after her."

“She doesn’t seem like she needs much looking after,” the young monk skeptically replied.

"You'd be surprised," Jagger said with the weary knowledge of the multiple lifetimes he'd spent with her. "She's become the personification of a lost cause, and that sort of thing is right up your alley, isn't it?"

“What if I stay and my feelings change over time?” he asked.

“The bond isn’t going to fade over time if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No, I’m worried that...what if I start to want to...?”

“Oh, that. Well, she’s never going to be able to satisfy that desire for you herself should it materialize,” Jagger told him. “I thought you didn’t think about women like that?”

"I don't, right now, but what if I do in the future?"

"Life is filled with what-ifs, and very few of us ever get to know what our future holds. I wouldn't let those maybes fill up too much of my thoughts if I were you. Take my word for it, there's a lot more to life than sex," Jagger said.

“Have you ever had sex?”

“It takes a lot to keep Salome satiated. I do my part,” the Feeonix said with languor.

“I never have. I’ve never even kissed anybody.”

"Someday, you might meet someone that makes you think of nothing else, but you also might never feel like it's something you need to experience. Love is a complicated emotion, and loving somebody doesn't always mean you'll want to combine body parts with them. I managed to get through a couple of thousand years without it being too much of a problem for me even though I make a lot of crass jokes," Jagger assured him.

“I guess I have a lot to think about.”

“Take my advice and don't think about it too much. Listen to what your instincts tell you. Overthinking everything leads to alcoholism."

“What’s al-co-hol-ism? Did I say that right?” the young Romulan asked and pronounced each syllable separately and slowly.

"Spend enough time here, and you'll find out," Jagger said with a touch of disillusionment.

“Thanks for talking to me,” Elnor said and gave the Feeonix a grateful smile.

“It’s my pleasure,” Jagger replied and returned the gesture with a wide grin of his own. “I think I kinda like you, Elnor.” He reached over and grabbed him in a gentle headlock before he pulled him in for a quick hug.

“I like you too,” the young Romulan said as his smile grew bigger.

_He did like Jagger. He was straightforward and didn't talk to him like he was a child which Picard sometimes did. He was glad he'd let the Feeonix convince him to go on their walk, and he was feeling better, at least where Naseema was concerned. It was clear to him how much Jagger cared about her and how hard it was to watch her struggle to come to terms with Data's death. She felt abandoned and alone. He understood what that was like. He hadn't known her very long, but he liked her. So far, she was kind to him and gentle, and he didn't feel as though he was getting on her nerves the way he did with the humans. He was still unsure how he felt about her bonding, but Jagger had done a lot to assuage his fears that he would become a different person because of it. Maybe it was some kind of fate that brought him here. Listening to Jagger describe her as a lost cause he realized that even though he failed to save Hugh, his decision to stay on the Artifact had brought him into Naseema's path, and maybe he could help her._

“Have you eaten in a while?" the Feeonix asked. "You must be getting hungry."

"I am, but I thought Feeonix didn't need to eat?"

"We don't, but Naseema's the only one who's weird about it. Don't let her set the standard. The rest of us enjoy food quite a lot so, why don't we both go get something to eat?" Jagger suggested, and Elnor nodded enthusiastically.


	5. Ganmadan

“Jagger, he’s not going to eat all that,” Juliet said, and watched as her friend brought an overflowing plate of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and bread over to Elnor, and placed it on the table in front of him.

“Sure he will,” Jagger told her confidently, and the young Romulan knew he was right. _He was starving_. His new friend sat down across the table from him with his own plate, and then Simon plunked down next to him, eyes still glued to his padd.

“This is bad,” he muttered.

“What’s bad?” Juliet asked.

“Javier took the humans out to the crashed Borg cube before he brought them back here, it's the Artifact by the way," he replied and glanced over the top of his screen. "There were a bunch of ex-borg survivors there with some Fenris Ranger, Sassy or Sally or something, anyway-"

“Seven!” Elnor piped up.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Simon said. “Do you know her?”

“I know who she is," Jagger interjected. "Our paths have crossed before." He arched an eyebrow and added, "She's smokin' hot."

“Ha!” Simon laughed. “Javier said the same thing.”

“What does that mean, s _mokin’ hot_?” Elnor asked, and looked around the table for an answer.

“It means they think she's attractive," Juliet told him with a knowing smile.

“Oh, like _tall drink of water_ ,” Elnor said.

“Yes," Juliet replied. "That's certainly, how Salome meant it." The young monk's face flushed at the mention of Salome, and he quickly returned his attention to his plate.

“Anyway," Simon continued as he raised his voice. "Hot Borg ladies aside, they managed to get some of the cube's systems back up and running, and the long-range scans indicated there are two hundred and eighteen warbirds on their way. My information confirmed it."

Jagger’s eyes opened wide. “Fuck me,” he said. “That is bad. Do we even have close to the defences to take on that many?"

“No, we do not,” Simon replied. “By my estimates, the orchids will only slow them down, and there is no way we can destroy a fleet that size without sacrificing someone, and also destroying the planet in the process. Then he paused briefly and took a quick breath. "Which is why I already sent Esmeralda, and Luka to Deep Space Twelve to beg for Federation help.”

"You did what?" Jagger asked and stared at Simon in disbelief. “Those kinds of decisions aren’t supposed to be made without consulting the rest of us.”

“I told him he should do it,” Juliet said.

“Oh, well, that’s just super,” Jagger retorted. “Now, we’re down two fighters. I’m so glad the pair of you know what’s best for everyone.”

“Jagger," Simon said patiently, "Esmeralda, and Luka are not fighters, neither am I, neither is Aronnox, and neither is Juliet. We're scientists. The others have no experience with anything even close to this magnitude, and what's Salome going to do, seduce the entire Romulan fleet? You and Naseema are the only ones who've handled anything like this before, and she's so fucking distracted she's practically useless. We need backup, and the Feds are the only ones with the resources to give it. We need them."

“I know,” Jagger sighed. “I just wish-”

“I can fight,” Elnor chimed in. He was trying to be helpful, but all he managed to do was flip Simon’s switch.

“No offence, kid, but your cute, little sword is going to be pretty fucking useless against an entire fleet of warbirds, and frankly, you're the reason Naseema can't pull it together, so I think you've done enough already," he said, with more anger and derision than necessary.

“Simon,” Juliet said. “It isn’t his fault. Naseema’s doing this to herself.”

“I didn’t ask her to bond herself to me,” Elnor said, with a hurt look on his face.

Juliet’s eyes grew wide, Jagger choked on his food, and Simon stared at him with an appalled expression.

“What did you just say?” he asked, as the muscles in his face hardened. Elnor realized he shouldn’t have said anything and closed his mouth tightly, but it was too late. Simon turned to Jagger. “Did you know about this?”

Jagger forced his mouthful down and took a drink. “What do you want me to do about it?” he finally asked. Simon shoved his chair back and stalked over to the coffee machine. He slammed his padd down and leaned against the counter with his back to them.

Juliet looked at Elnor. “It’s not your fault,” she said. “We’re just a bit surprised.”

“Juliet, stop coddling him,” Simon told her over his shoulder. “Naseema violated the code, again, and trying to paint sunshine and rainbows over it is not going to make it any less of a disaster. He’s in this as deep as we are now, and at the end of the day, he’ll be just as dead as the rest of us. Honestly, what the fuck is wrong with her?!”

“Oh, just simmer it down over there,” Jagger snapped. “Where has honouring the old ways ever gotten us? Look where we are, Simon. What the hell does it matter now?”

“Jagger, Data was one thing, but he’s-he’s a Romulan, this is a big-" Simon tried to argue, but Jagger kept going.

"No, it isn't a big deal, she's been grieving for twenty years, Simon. She needs to move on, and if Elnor can help her do that, then I don’t see the big problem, even if he does have pointy ears.” Simon spun around to face Jagger. He stared at him silently for a few seconds and then turned his eyes to Juliet.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to agree with Jagger on this. He knows her better than any of us, and he’s right, she needs to move on. We all need her to move on.”

“Thank you,” Jagger said to her, then he leaned across the table and squished Elnor's cheeks together with one hand. “Come on, how can you resist this face. Just look at how cute he is.”

“I hate you,” Simon said, and grabbing his padd from the counter, he walked out of the cantina.

Jagger settled back into his chair and looked at Elnor with an exhausted expression. "Welcome to the family,” he said, sardonically, but then softened his face and tone before adding, “Don’t worry about him, he’ll get over it.”

“Nobody blames you, honey,” Juliet added. “The timing’s just not great.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Elnor said as he looked at the two Feeonix with regret.

"If I had a nickel for every time I said something I shouldn't have, I'd be living on my own private island full of naked women," Jagger replied. "It was bound to get out sometime. I don't think when matters."

“What’s bound to get out sometime?” Salome asked as she slunk in the rear door. She took Simon’s empty seat and rested her elbow on the table to prop her head up with her hand. "Hi there, baby boy,” she said to Elnor with a vixenish smirk. “You look tense, anything I can do to help you relax?”

"No, thank you, I'm fine," he replied and eyed her nervously.

Still smiling, she placed her free hand on his leg. "Are you sure?" she purred as she crept up his thigh towards his groin. With an alarmed look on his face, he slapped his hand down on hers to stop her from groping him, and Jagger realized something was happening under the table.

“Give it a rest, Salome,” he told her. “And put both your hands up here where I can see them.”

"Fine," she replied, rolling her eyes. She pulled her hand from Elnor's leg, and thumped it on the table but continued to stare at him. He let out a low sigh of relief and inched his chair a little further away from her. At that moment, Naseema, and another Feeonix came into the cantina. The stranger spotted Elnor, and with a pleasantly surprised expression, approached him. He wiped his hand on his trousers and held it out. Elnor looked at his hand, and then up at his face, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

“Shake his hand,” Salome told him, and he turned his eyes to her, still confused. Arronox reached down, and took Elnor's hand in his, giving it a hearty shake.

“There you go,” he said with a smile. “Name’s Aronnox. You must be Elnor, a pleasure to meet you.”

"Pleasure to meet you too," Elnor replied and returned Aronnox’s smile.

Salome looked at Naseema. _“Oh my god, he’s such a helpless little hayseed. Please, let me play with him,”_ she said silently, and Naseema shot her a disapproving look.

“ _He is not a toy, and he is far from helpless,”_ she replied. _"He could take both your hands and your head off with that sword before you even had the chance to blink."_

“ _That sounds like a challenge,”_ Salome said, and arched an eyebrow. Naseema shook her head and rolled her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest.

Still holding Elnor’s hand, Aronnox suddenly looked intrigued. He tightened his grip slightly and studied the young Romulan's eyes briefly before he turned to Naseema.

"You've bonded to him," he said to her and released Elnor's hand. "Interesting."

"Aronnox!" Naseema said sharply and glanced at the rest of the group to gauge their reactions.

“Yeah, you were outed about ten minutes ago,” Jagger told her.

Naseema looked at him with hurt and disappointment. "Why did you-" she started to ask, but Jagger jumped in to defend himself.

“It wasn’t me,” he said, and then motioned towards Elnor with his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Elnor apologized. “I didn’t mean to.”

Naseema softened her expression. “It is alright, Elnor,” she said. “You did not know it was a secret.”

“Wait,” Salome cut in. “What does that mean, she’s _bonded to him_?”

"It means he's bought and paid for, so hands off the merchandise," Jagger told her, and she sneered at him in response.

"I don't think that's quite how it works," Aronnox said with a chuckle. "But, I guess it's not that surprising, considering your history, Naseema."

“It was not intentional,” she sighed.

“Huh, very interesting," Aronnox mused and looked Elnor up and down. "I suppose there's nothing to be done about it now."

“Where is Simon?” Naseema asked.

“Sulking in his office,” Jagger replied.

“I take it he knows as well?”

“Yes, indeedy,” Jagger confirmed.

“Wonderful. Well, I do not think I care to fight with him about it now,” she said.

“Give him a chance to cool off, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Jagger advised. “You know how he gets.”

Naseema made a displeased face but nodded. Then she turned her attention to Elnor. "I hope everybody is being nice to you," she said.

“Yes,” he brightly replied.

“The nicest,” Salome added with a smirk. Elnor glanced at her with a look in his eyes that contradicted her statement.

“I can see you still have not refastened your hair,” Naseema observed, ignoring Salome’s attempt to be provocative. “There appears to be leaves, and seed pods in it. I can help you with it if you like?"

“Yes, please!” Elnor said, eager to get away from Salome. He popped the last piece of bread in his mouth, got up, and dumped his plate in the reprocessor before heading down the hallway with Naseema. She took him to her room, and he looked around the small space as she fetched a hairbrush from the bathroom. There was a large bed in the middle of the room. The mattress made of the same fuzzy, green material as the one in the room he showered in. A long bookcase served as the headboard. She had a small table and chairs near the bed and a large, comfier looking chair on the opposite side. There was a stone fireplace against the wall that faced the bathroom with a tiny replicator next to it. Other than a couple of lamps, and a dresser, there were no other furnishings in the room. A few intricate tapestries decorated the walls, but otherwise, there wasn't much to look at. It was certainly more sparse than the re-creation of Picard's La Barre study on _La Sirena_. He lifted his scabbard off, placed it on the bed, and when she emerged from the bathroom, she led him to a small, sheltered outdoor area off the bedroom. It was almost completely hidden from view, enclosed by thick, lush vegetation, and there was a soft mat on the ground, a couple of stools, and a small bubbling fountain.

"Wow," he said, as he looked around the outdoor space. Naseema smiled and motioned for him to sit on one of the stools. He did, and then standing behind him, she gathered all his hair behind his shoulders, and gently cleaned the leaves, and burrs out.

“Do you usually manage all your hair by yourself?” she asked.

"Yes, but if it's really a mess, one of the sisters will help me. It can be hard to get at the back sometimes," he replied and tried to keep his head still.

“I can imagine it is,” she said. “It looks like you take good care of it. It is very soft.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “Zani always loved my hair, and she encouraged me to take care of it.”

“Zani is wise. There is nothing quite as lovely as beautiful hair.”

“I think your hair is beautiful,” he told her.

“Thank you, Elnor,” she laughed. “I am afraid I gave up on my hair around the sixteenth century. It is rather unruly, and I simply cannot be bothered to do anything with it.”

“Maybe it just hasn’t found the right pair of hands to tame it,” he suggested, and she laughed again.

“Perhaps.” Once she finished cleaning the evidence of his walk with Jagger out, she delicately ran her fingers through it. She started at his hairline, went all the way around his head to the nape of his neck, and let her nails drag against his scalp. It was a pleasant sensation, and he let out a relaxed sigh along with a shiver as she reached the back of his neck. She divided it into two sections and began brushing each of them out for him, making sure not to be rough or tug at the few snags.

_He was used to being self-sufficient, and could certainly handle brushing his own hair, but nobody had paid attention to him like this for a long time, and he was enjoying it. Plus, the effect her energy field had on him was extremely pleasant, and he was enjoying that too._

“How did Aronnox know about your bonding to me?” he finally asked.

“Because he is very nearly a hundred thousand years old,” Naseema replied. “He is far more sensitive to everyone’s energy than the rest of us, and he could feel me when he touched you.”

“That’s amazing,” Elnor said. “Can all of you do that?”

“No, we are all too young,” she told him. “The next oldest of us is Javier, and he is only nine thousand.”

“ _Only_ nine thousand?” he asked, aporetically.

“Age is factored differently when you live as long as we do,” she explained. “To you, I seem ancient, but to the other Feeonix, I am not considered to be much older than you.”

“How old are the others?”

“Well, Simon is next down the line. He is around five thousand, and Juliet is a similar age," she told him. "Jagger is a few centuries older than I, and everyone else is younger. They are really only children still, and Salome is the baby. She is not even a hundred years old yet, which probably explains why she behaves like a belligerent toddler."

“Salome scares me,” Elnor quietly admitted.

“I do not believe she will do anything to hurt you. She's never met anyone like you before, and she finds you fascinating. If her behaviour upsets you, try not to be alone with her. She will lose interest soon enough," Naseema assured him as she finished brushing out his hair. She separated the top section with her fingers and pulled it back over the top of his head before using the brush to smooth it out. Then she twisted it into a small bun letting the loose end fall down his back.

“Do you have your ribbon?” she inquired, and he reached into his pocket for it, handing it to her over his shoulder.

“Naseema,” he asked as she fastened the ribbon around the base of the bun. “Are you ashamed to be bonded to me?”

“No!” she replied, surprised. “Why would you think that?” She finished tying up his hair and came around to face him.

“You said it was a secret,” he said with a wounded look in his eyes.

“I only meant that I did not intend for everyone to find out right now,” she replied. “We have enough to worry about without the added complication of my own personal...issues. It is not as if I intended to keep it a secret forever.”

“Jagger told me you weren’t supposed to do it with people who aren’t Feeonix,” he said. “Did I get you in trouble?”

“No, I mean yes, what Jagger told you is correct, but no, you did not get me into trouble,” she told him. “I did that all by myself.”

“Is something bad going to happen to you?” he asked.

“I do not believe so. There is nobody left to punish me,” she assured him. “A few of the others may be angry at first, but they will get over it.”

“Are you sorry you did it?”

“I am sorry that my action has complicated your life,” she said. “You did not deserve that.”

"I'm not sorry," he said and looked at her decidedly. “I believe it happened for a reason.”

“So, you are no longer angry with me?” she asked.

He shook his head. "I was confused and unhappy at first, but now I feel good about it. It makes me feel...wanted.”

“Of course you are wanted,” she said, surprised. “I know we have not known each other very long but-” She was interrupted by Manny knocking on the window. She waved him outside.

“I’m sorry to intrude, but it’s important,” he said, giving an acknowledging nod to Elnor as he spoke.

"It is alright, Manny," she replied. "What is the problem?"

“That Romulan we captured has escaped," he told her. "He murdered Saga and took off into the desert.

Naseema’s face turned to stone. “Where is Juliet?”

“She's already gone down there with Aronnox," Manny said. "Shit's hitting the fan, and everyone is freaking out."

"Go tell Simon he must jam all planetary communications. If the prisoner has an ally here, we do not want them coordinating with each other. Simon and Javier know what to do at Control. Then, tell Jagger he must get down to the Station, and secure it. Nobody comes in or goes out. Go with him. Try to keep everyone calm. I will track the fugitive." Manny nodded even though he seemed scared and unsure, and retreated inside.

“I'm going with you," Elnor said with deadly seriousness in his eyes. Naseema looked at him with hesitation at first but ultimately nodded. They made their way to the small weapons locker where she armed herself and then headed away from Coppelius Control into the scrublands towards the downed _La Sirena_. They moved quickly to make up for their quarry's head start and hiked to higher ground for a better vantage point. It wasn't long before Elnor caught something moving in the distance. He crouched down and made his way to the edge of a small ridge. Naseema shadowed him, and as they stayed hidden behind a pile of rocks, he pointed at what he spotted.

“There,” he said. “Do you see him?”

Naseema followed his finger and nodded. "I see him. He's headed for _La Sirena_. We should hurry, Raffi, and Mr. Rios are already there, and I doubt they are expecting him.”

They stayed low and concealed, picked up their pace, and followed the Romulan spy to Rios' ship, but lost sight of him as they made a roundabout approach to avoid being seen. The sun was low in the sky as Elnor led them up to the ship, and found a way inside. They crept through the cargo hold, and Elnor moved like a ghost as he followed the sound of voices until they found Rios, and Raffi in the meeting room with Narek, the Romulan spy. Distracted by their discussion, they were oblivious to the arrival of the Qowat Milat, and the Feeonix. The pair slipped into the room and surrounded Narek on each side of the table. Elnor drew his _tan qalanq_ , and pointed it at him, less than an inch from his throat.

“Feldor stam torret,” _Choose to live,_ Elnor demanded in his native tongue, his normally soft voice was hard with determination, and his eyes burning with anger. Narek leapt out of his chair and backed towards the wall with his hands up as Naseema came around the far side of the table, behind Raffi, with her weapon pointed at his head. The two humans were already on their feet, hands also raised.

“I do, I very much choose to live,” Narek told Elnor.

“Hold up, kid,” Rios broke in. “We disarmed him, searched him. We may very well have a common enemy coming for us. You’re gonna want to hear what he came here to say.”

Naseema kept her weapon firmly trained on her target and looked over at Elnor. “It is your call,” she said. The young monk paused for a minute as his sword steadily waited for instruction.

“Please,” Raffi said to him. “Just hear him out, and then, if you still want to kill him, we won’t stop you.” Both humans and the Romulan spy raised their eyebrows expectantly at Elnor, and after a few seconds of consideration, he lowered his weapon, and sheathed it, but still eyed his fellow countryman with anger and suspicion.

“The sun’s going down,” Rios observed. “And I don’t want anybody skulking around my ship in the dark. Let’s move outside, and I’ll build a fire.”

“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Raffi agreed, and looking around at everybody, she added, “I’ll go first.”

Naseema holstered her sidearm as Raffi led the way out, and glared at Narek. "One false move and I will turn you into a torch,” she warned. He stared back at her, almost daring her to keep her word as Elnor shoved him out of the room.

“I’ve seen her do it,” the young monk added. “It won’t be pleasant...or quick.”

Once they were outside the ship, it became apparent that Elnor was much more adept at building a fire than Rios, and after the _La Sirena_ captain fetched him some dry wood, he had a steady blaze going. Naseema sat near Narek to keep an eye on him, and when he was satisfied that the campfire would continue to burn without his attention, Elnor sat next to her.

Shooting daggers at the Tal Shiar operative with his eyes, he said, “I still don’t understand why we’re trusting him. His sister murdered Hugh.”

“Good thing she didn’t come along then,” Narek shot back.

“I don’t like you,” Elnor retorted.

“No?” Narek replied. He matched his counterpart's antagonism and waved his finger condescendingly. “How do you feel about Ganmadan? Because if we waste any more time fighting each other, we will all die, and then whether or not you like me will matter even less."

“Whoa, hold on,” Raffi interjected with an uneasy chuckle and held her hands out in a peacemaking gesture. “What is Ganmadan? What is the story?”

“It’s just that,” Elnor said as he became increasingly riled by Narek’s obvious contempt for him. “A story.”

“A story of the end,” Narek corrected.

“Of?” Raffi pressed.

“Everything,” Narek said decidedly.

“Like Ragnarok or Judgment Day,” Rios added. “An ancient myth.”

“Some say it dates back from long before our ancestors first arrived on Vulcan," Narek explained, and turned his attention to Rios. “The story of Ganmadan begins with two sisters. Twin khalagu.”

“Demons,” Elnor elaborated.

“Twin demons,” Narek said. “Who come at the end of time to open the way, and unleash the ch’khalagu.”

“Very bad demons,” Elnor added, still chafed but willing to allow Narek to tell the story.

"One sister is called Seb Natan, the Foreteller," Narek continued, quickly gaining the attention of both the Feeonix and the two humans. "She plays a drum made from the skin of children. She strikes it with a chain of skulls, so hard, and so long that her heart bursts from the effort.” Raffi leaned in with interest and took a long drag from her snake leaf pipe as Narek went on. "The other sister is called Seb--"

“Seb Cheneb?” Raffi interrupted. “Yeah, see we-we know about her.” Narek acknowledged her with his eyes but went on.

"So you know that she carries a horn from a great pale hell beast called Ganmadan,” he asked rhetorically, as his condescending tone returned. "You know when she blows a blast on the horn, it will unleash all the ch'khalagu who have been waiting since the beginning of time. You know the sky will crack, and through the crack in the sky, the ch'khalagu will come ravening. You know about the Thousand Days of Pain. You know the streets will be slick with entrails of half-devoured corpses. You know the worlds will burn, and the ch'khalagu will feast, and nurse their brats on blood, and pick their teeth with bones." He dramatically mimed his final words to illustrate his point.

“No, we did not know any of that,” Rios replied, a little horrified by Narek’s commitment to details.

“But, I mean, do you really-you really believe this is a-a prophecy?” Raffi asked, uncertain if Narek was actually insane or just a good storyteller.

"No," he replied and stared into the fire. “I believe it’s history.” Raffi sat back and looked at him with a mix of disbelief and concern as he finished speaking. "And the fascinating thing about history is, it always repeats itself."

“Huh,” Raffi said as she glanced at Rios, who met her eyes with a skeptical twitch of his eyebrow. Naseema had reached her limit with Narek’s dramatic recounting of the end of the world.

“Fucking spare me,” she said and stared Narek down as her companions all turned their heads towards her, shocked by the viciousness in her tone. “Do you think that is original? Every culture, from every world, since the beginning of the universe has a variation on the end of days, and just as you are doing now, those stories have been used to justify unspeakable atrocities against those who are feared, not because they are demons, or witches, or heretics, but because they are different.” She stood up and continued tearing into Narek as her voice grew dark, and enraged. “How dare you presume to tell me about history repeating itself. The only repetition I see here is a blind dedication to the persecution of those who have done nothing to deserve it. Ganmadan is no more real than any other irrational dogmatism.”

Narek met her with steely eyes. “Temper, temper,” he replied. "And you wonder why nobody threw themselves on their sword for your kind when you were all, annihilated. You're an abomination just like the synthetics.” That pushed her over the edge. She lunged at him, but Elnor grabbed her, and as he struggled to hold her back, the others saw the orange rings in her eyes flash.

“Fuck you, and fuck your admonition!” she snarled, and then she turned to the two humans. “If you help him, you will be conspirators to genocide,” she told them as she jerked herself free of Elnor's grasp and stormed off into the shadows.

The young monk chased after her, caught her arm, and spun her around. “I don’t like him either, but what was that?” he asked, wide-eyed and surprised at how quickly her temper got the better of her.

“When you have lived as long as I have, it becomes easier to recognize patterns of behaviour, and where those patterns lead," she replied angrily. "You asked me how someone ends up being burned at-the-stake, well the answer is sitting right over there, sweetheart. People like him and his paranoid nonsense are exactly how people like me end up on the bonfire, and how innocents end up in a mass grave. The faces and the tactics may change, but the motives and the result are always the same."

“Rios and Raffi haven’t done anything, why are you so angry at them?”

She stared at him for a second, the rage in her eyes growing strong. "Have they not? They may not fear Ganmadan, but they are afraid, and if they allow their fear to convince them to help him, then they are no better than he is. I have seen _that_ many times before too, and I will not be a party to either inaction or collusion out of fear."

"Of course you're not afraid, you're not organic," he insisted and met her furious glare head-on. "What if he's right, and the androids are going to destroy the rest of us?"

“If that is what you believe, then perhaps you should return to your friends," she spat.

“I didn’t say that I believed him, I only ask-”

“This is not the time for sitting on the fence, Elnor,” she roughly cut in. “You need to choose a side.”

“I'm on your side," he said and watched with growing concern as she pulled her disruptor out, taking the safety off before re-holstering it. "What are you going to do?"

“He did not have those grenades when he escaped, and he did not have time to retrieve them from the wreckage of his ship before we caught up with him,” she said. “Somebody gave them to him, and I am going to find his accomplice.”

“And then what?”

“And then I will unleash a thousand years worth of rage upon them.”

“Do you realize that you sound as crazy as he does?" he asked as his voice hardened to match hers.

She glowered at him for an instant before she turned around and walked away. "Goodbye, Elnor, take care of yourself."

“Wait,” he said. “I’ll come with you.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

She stopped moving and looked over her shoulder at him. "You do not want to see what I am truly capable of, believe me, go back to your friends, Qowat Milat. I neither require nor want your help. I am beyond that now.” Then she continued into the dark.

“Naseema!” he called after her, but she ignored him, and disappeared into the blackness.

“Is she coming back?” Raffi asked when Elnor returned to the campfire.

“No.”

“Well, that’s a real shame,” Narek said, his tone loaded with sarcasm.

“I should have let her kill you," Elnor said and thumped back down in the dirt. “I still don’t like you,” he added bitterly, and Narek sneered at him.

“Look,” Rios broke in. “We all need to set aside our deep loathing for each other for a few hours and get some sleep. I, for one, would like to be well-rested when the apocalypse comes tomorrow."

The group returned to the ship, and after they secured Narek, Raffi and Rios retired for a few hours of rest. Elnor went to his cabin and flopped unhappily on the bed. He tried closing his eyes, but he knew sleep wasn’t coming for him tonight.

_He couldn’t stop thinking about how enraged Naseema had become over a dumb story, and she obviously hadn’t been joking when she told him she was a difficult person to deal with, but he didn’t agree that she was beyond saving, as she seemed to believe she was. Maybe she was crazy, but she was also willing to die to save this planet, and maybe it made him crazy too, but he knew if he didn’t do something to help her, she would die. She went to the wreckage of the Artifact. He was positive about that, and he needed to find her if he had any hope of saving her from herself._

He crept through the ship slowly, and quietly to make sure he didn’t wake the others, and then silently slipped out into the dark desert.


	6. The End

Naseema skulked through the abandoned cube and made sure to avoid being seen by the ex-borg survivors congregated on the ground level. Even heavily damaged, the cube was still enormous, and it would take her days, if not longer, to search the entire vessel. She didn't have that kind of time. Multiple systems were already operational, and she knew if the cube's weapons systems were among them, it could either be used to their advantage or as a devastating blow against them, depending on who was in control. She guessed whoever hid here to help Narek, would want to stick close to active parts of the facility. She followed the gentle hum of the operating systems farther up and eventually found an area, isolated from the survivors, that appeared to function as a shelter.

_Now, we’re getting somewhere._

She took a quick reconnaissance of the shelter but didn’t find any indication of who Narek’s ally was or where they were now. Then she heard footsteps. She melted into the shadows and held her breath as she waited for whoever it was to show themselves. Narek’s accomplice was a tall, slender Romulan woman with long hair. Naseema tried to make out if she was armed and spotted the disruptor holstered on her hip but was unable to spot any other weaponry. However, the Feeonix knew her enemy well enough to know that if she was Tal Shiar or even Zhat Vash, she would have other defences hidden elsewhere on her person. The Romulan woman walked over to a lit console and began to work with the holographic interface. Naseema waited until she was sure her enemy believed she was alone and then came out of the dark with her weapon drawn.

"Choose to live," she said as she approached the woman and kept her peripheral vision sharp against the darkness around her, in case there were others. The Romulan woman, Narissa, looked up, and when she saw Naseema, she raised her hands with an expression on her face that indicated she was more annoyed than afraid.

“I suppose you’re the one who rescued the freak?” she asked.

"You are correct," Naseema confirmed. "And I have become rather fond of him, so I would appreciate it if you could manage to avoid the name-calling."

Narissa snorted in response. “I know who you are,” she said. “You’re supposed to be dead...Naseema.”

“Well, as you can see, I am very much alive,” the Feeonix replied. “Am I required reading at the military academy now or simply a personal interest of yours?"

Narissa snorted again. "You're the only one who would have the audacity to violate both our space and the treaty of Algeron. You did negotiate that cretinous colouring book, did you not?"

"That was a very long time ago," Naseema said. "A lot has changed since then, and from the looks of it, you're not so committed to peace yourself. Now, toss your weapon over here."

Narissa narrowed her eyes and unholstered her disruptor. She laid it on the floor and slid it towards Naseema with her foot. Then, the Feeonix kicked it over the side, and they both heard it clatter as it landed on a lower level.

“I’m not sure what the point of that was,” Narissa remarked. “It’s not like I could use it against you.”

“I just like that sound,” Naseema replied.

“I hope you realize you’re dooming us all right now,” Narissa told her. “I came here to stop what’s coming and if you kill me-”

"If you are referring to Ganmadan, I have already heard that pitch from your comrade," Naseema interrupted. "I did not buy it from him, and I am certainly not interested in hearing your take on it either."

“And how is my dear, baby brother?” Narissa asked with a sneer.

Naseema's eyebrow twitched as her expression changed, and her voice hardened. "You are the one who murdered Hugh," she said.

“He initiated an open insurrection,” Narissa replied with mock innocence. “I was merely acting in the best interests of the Romulan people.”

“Right.”

_Her rage was building to the point where she had to commit a portion of her focus to keep from torching Narissa right then and there. As badly as she wanted to kill this Romulan assassin painfully, she needed to keep her cool. She hadn't been able to get the look in Elnor's eyes when they'd argued, out of her mind, and she didn’t want him to think she was a monster._

“Move,” Naseema instructed and waved her weapon in the direction she'd entered. Narissa rolled her eyes but kept her hands up, did as she was told, and led the way down to the next level.

“You may as well just kill me,” Narissa told her. “We’re all going to die when my fleet arrives to rain fire down on this miserable planet anyway.”

"As much as I would enjoy that, I am not going to kill you," Naseema replied. "This is not over yet, and you and your brother can spend some time in our custody before it is.”

“What’s the matter?” Narissa asked. “Don’t want your compatriots to find out what a cold-blooded psychopath you actually are? We're not so different, you and I, you're just on the wrong side.”

"Are you that much of a fool?" Naseema answered. "You are willing to sacrifice your own life over some alien prophesy that you do not even understand. Your _admonition_ was not intended for organic minds to comprehend. It is a warning, yes, but not for you, and thanks to your irrational actions, you have provoked the very thing you were trying to prevent.”

“You're the fool if you seriously can't see what a threat those abominations are to the rest of us," Narissa retorted. "Even greater than you or those gross half-meats wandering around on the ground.”

“Stop talking, I am tired of listening to you,” Naseema told her.

Narissa looked over her shoulder at the Feeonix. “Well, at least my brother will appreciate your hospitality,” she said with a smug laugh. “I think he enjoys fucking them almost as much as you do.” She was trying to provoke Naseema into making a mistake and attacking her, and it worked.

Naseema growled, put her foot into Narissa's back and shoved. The Romulan stumbled and went down on one knee. Letting out an irritated sigh, Naseema stopped to wait for her to get to her feet, but instead, Narissa spun around and kicked the disruptor out of the Feeonix's hand. Naseema swung her elbow out and caught Narissa across the face as she came in for another hit. Instead of engaging in a hand to hand contest, she knew she couldn't win, Narissa pulled one of the small blades hidden in her belt, and flung it into Naseema's neck. The Feeonix stumbled back and gagged on the blood filling her throat. Narissa moved in on her, grabbed the tiny knife, and stabbed her again before she rammed her foot into Naseema's stomach. The Feeonix came back with a high spin kick, hit Narissa in the face again, and went at her with a right hook. Narissa caught her arm and drove the knife into her side before she took off running. Injured but not bad enough to slow her down, Naseema chased after her. They exchanged several more blows before Naseema finally sent her flying with another well-landed kick. Blind with rage, she advanced on her again. The orange rings in her eyes flared outwards, and the air around her started to crackle. Narissa grabbed a sharp length of scrap metal from the floor and thrust it out. She used Naseema's momentum to impale her through the chest. The Feeonix gasped, sprayed blood from her mouth, and Narissa got to her feet, still holding onto the metal bar. She shoved forward, forced it out through Naseema's back, and then used all the strength she had to drive her backward, embedding the metal spear into the wall. Naseema snarled and struggled to free herself, but Narissa knew the Feeonix was at least temporarily trapped. Narissa let go of the first bar and grabbed another, wider one. She slowly forced that one into the Feeonix’s gut and out the other side, then used a violent kick to drive it into the wall as well while Naseema howled in pain. Her adrenaline pumping, Narissa grabbed a third bar and tried to drive it into Naseema's chest, but the Feeonix managed to deflect the assault, and the bar ended up through her shoulder instead.

Her chest heaving from the effort, Narissa stood and watched Naseema gasp for breath and struggle to free herself as blood poured from her mouth and nose. The Romulan wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and smirked at her gravely injured opponent. "So sad," she taunted. "There is nothing more tragic than misguided heroism."

“Fuck you,” Naseema spat, barely able to bring her voice past a strained whisper.

“You should have killed me when you had the chance,” Narissa told her and looked her over one last time before she disappeared into the labyrinth around them. Naseema tried to pull the bars from her body, but Narissa had done far to good a job of pinning her to the wall. Before long, she ran out of strength and finally lost consciousness.

***

When Elnor reached the Artifact, it loomed over the land like an ancient, long-abandoned castle. Occasional flashes of lightning lit up the early morning sky, and the stark contrast of the foreboding cube against the bright desert made it seem even more terrifying than he remembered, but he pressed forward. Once inside, he crept around in the dark with no idea where to even start looking for Naseema. Also, wanting to avoid attention from the ex-borg, he made his way to a higher level and stayed almost completely hidden. He used the same method she had and followed the quiet hum of the cube's computers deeper into the maze of chambers and corridors.

_He prayed he wasn't too late to find her. Anger was a feeling that could be channelled, used to strengthen one's resolve, but blind rage was a dangerous liability. He was convinced she would either do something she would regret or have a fatal lapse in judgment. He also knew he was taking a huge risk by going after her. It was possible she would kill him by mistake, but it was a risk he felt compelled to take. He didn't have a lot of friends, to begin with, and he was becoming very attached to her. The idea of losing her was enough to make his stomach hurt._

Just as he reached the centre, he heard the sound of someone coming in his direction and deftly disappeared into the shadows above him. He held his breath and watched as Narissa passed by him, completely unaware of his presence. As much as he wanted to avenge Hugh's death, killing her wasn't why he'd come here, so once he was sure she was gone, he dropped, and headed in the opposite direction.

_He needed to find Naseema first._

A few minutes later, he heard more footsteps, but there was nothing above him to climb. He drew his weapon and held his back against the wall to wait for whoever it was to come around the corner. As they appeared, he grabbed the arm, swung them out into his line of sight, and brought his _tan qalanq_ to their throat.

“Feldor stam torret!”

Looking at the person who now pointed a phaser at him, he was shocked to see the familiar face of Seven of Nine. Her eyes as wide as his, she let out a sigh of relief and lowered her weapon.“You scared the shit out of me,” she said with exasperation.

“Sorry,” he replied and dropped his sword to his side.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I'm looking for Naseema," he told her. "She came here to find a Tal Shiar assassin, and I followed her."

“Naseema? As in former Federation Ambassador Naseema? The Feeonix?” Seven asked. “Hasn’t she been dead for twenty years?”

Elnor shook his head. "She rescued me from here a few days ago and brought me to this planet. She lives here with a bunch of other Feeonix and the synthetics."

"You're the one who sent the s.o.s." Seven realized.

“She found me first,” he said with a nod. “Have you seen her?”

“No, but I think I've seen the Romulan she's looking for," Seven told him. "I've been trying to follow her and find out what she's doing here, but she's a slippery one."

“I saw her too,” Elnor replied.

“Well, if you want to find Naseema, let's go this way," Seven said and motioned to another corridor.

As they made their way further into the cube, Elnor told her what happened there before his rescue. “The woman I saw, she was the one who murdered Hugh,” he revealed.

"I found his body near the Queen's cell," Seven replied. "I thought he was the one who triggered the s.o.s. Once we find your friend, we'll track Hugh's killer down and finish what you started."

He liked that plan and readily agreed. They moved up to the next level, and Elnor was woefully unprepared for what they found. He gasped, horrified by the image of Naseema's body secured to the wall like some lunatic's art project and ran to her.

_The reality was worse than anything he could have imagined, and he knew the Romulan who murdered Hugh had done this. Killing an enemy was one thing, but how someone could inflict such cruel violence on another...it was an act of pure malevolence. He hated that woman, but even as he felt the rage roil up inside him, he knew it was a mistake to give in to it and forced it back. Rage and hatred were why Naseema was now in this position, and he couldn't help her if he let those feelings win. He had to stay calm and keep his focus on saving her. He wasn’t going to lose another friend to this terrible place._

He tried to heave the largest of the bars out of the wall but couldn't get enough leverage. He squeezed himself between the two lodged in her torso and lifted her head. She came to as he touched her but didn’t realize it was him. She shot her hand out and grabbed his throat. When she opened her eyes, she saw the big brown ones staring back at her, wide and alarmed. It took her another few seconds to realize who the eyes belonged to, but once she did, she released him and tried to speak.

“Elnor," she said with a wet wheeze. "What are you doing here?"

“I came to find you," he replied, his face still aghast. Seven came over then and took hold of the bar in her shoulder.

“We're going to get you out of here, but it's not going to feel good," she told Naseema, who nodded weakly. Then Seven braced her foot against the wall and yanked the bar free. She tossed it aside and looked at Elnor. "Come here and help me," she told him.

He wiggled himself away from Naseema and grabbed the next bar, opposite Seven. Together they pulled it from the wall, and it exited Naseema's body with a hideous sucking sound. The final one was wider and denser than the first two, and when they freed it from her body, Naseema dropped to the floor, blood seeping from the gaping holes in her torso. Elnor fell to his knees beside her, yanked out the knife in her side, and cradled her head with his hand as he experienced the most gut-wrenching deja-vu of his young life.

Seven came up and stood behind him. “I’m sorry, kid,” she said sadly.

“No,” he replied with determination. “She’s not going to die.” He hauled Naseema to her feet and slid himself under her arm. He hugged her against his body as Seven looked on in amazement.

Naseema, alive and astoundingly still conscious, touched her arm as they passed her. "There is a Zhat Vash assassin here," she heaved, and made a gurgling noise in her throat, barely able to pull in enough air to speak. "She is trying to get the weapons systems online."

Seven, inspired by Elnor’s unyielding conviction to save the Feeonix, nodded. Then she looked at the young Romulan. “Get her home,” she told him. “I’ll deal with our murderer.” He swallowed hard, his eyes still full of determination and nodded back at her. Then, with Naseema secured in his arms, he headed straight for Coppelius Station.

They only made it a kilometre before Elnor had to carry her. She was surprisingly light for a being with such dense bones, but he was becoming tired as they approached the settlement. He intended to stop at _La Sirena_ so they could rest for a few minutes and maybe get some help from Rios' EMH, but the ship was gone, so he kept on towards the Station without pause. Nobody was watching the gate, and he carried her right to the center of the village, where everyone congregated, their eyes fixed on Soji. Jagger, who stood at the very back of the crowd, glanced over and, after doing a double-take, raced over and helped Elnor rest Naseema's feet on the ground. He looked the young Romulan up and down, appalled by how much blood was on Elnor's jacket. Rios, also in the outskirts of the group, hurried over as well, his expression just as stricken as Jagger.

“What the fuck happened?" Jagger asked, but Naseema was distracted by the holographic image Soji was talking to and didn't seem to hear him.

“Is that Jean-Luc?” she gasped. “What the hell is he doing?”

“Stealing Rios' ship to save all our butts," Jagger told her. "Essie and Luka showed up with the entire fucking cavalry, just in the nick of time, and you'll never believe who they brought with them."

Rios and Jagger held onto Naseema's arms as they moved closer to the podium, and she placed a bloodied hand on the pillar next to her to steady herself. Elnor stripped off his blood-soaked jacket and discarded it on the ground as if it were on fire as they helplessly watched the drama unfold. Arcana came over to place a reassuring hand on Elnor’s shoulder and looked at Naseema with concern.

“You are badly injured,” she said, her gold eyes wide and worried.

“Arcana's right, Naseema, we need to get you inside," Jagger insisted. "You're in a bad way, a really bad way. I mean, Jesus Christ, I can see right through you." She turned to look at him, struggling to breathe. Her balance wavered, but before she could respond, Soji's suddenly alarmed voice caught her attention again.

"Can't you get him to the med lab or a sickbay on one of your ships?"

"What is happening?" Naseema asked as her eyelids began to sag, and Jagger knew she was about to lose consciousness. He didn't know if he should answer her. Everything was happening so fast. Picard told him about the brain abnormality, and he knew the inevitable was upon them.

“I’m dropping the transporter block!” Soji cried. “I’ll beam you guys right here!”

"Jagger?" Naseema gurgled, blood now filling her throat.

Then, the sudden transporter beam that appeared in the square attracted everyone's attention. The entire place fell silent as Picard and Dr. Jurati materialized on the ground. Picard, decumbent on his back, with Agnes on her knees beside him, her hand cushioning his head. They disappeared from Naseema's view as Raffi, Soji, Rios, and Juliet crowded around them, all on their knees. The small community of synthetics stood peripheral to the devastated humans, unsure of what they should do, and keeping their distance. Elnor moved towards the small crowd but stayed on his feet. He seemed in a daze and had finally succumbed to shell shock.

_What was happening? Too much commotion. Too much violence. Too much hatred and fear...and blood. So much blood. It was all over him. Is this what the galaxy offered? Pain and suffering, and death? He didn't know what to do. He wanted to help, but his feet wouldn't cooperate. He wanted to call out, but he couldn't find his voice. His eyes searched for something, someone to focus on. Jagger, who seemed so cool, and collected, was stricken. Picard. He needed Picard. Picard was on the ground. Why wasn’t anyone helping Picard? Why was everyone so quiet? There were too many tears. He was exhausted. His whole body ached. His thoughts were jumbled. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong. He wanted to go home._

Jagger left Naseema and Arcana to stand behind Agnes. He leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and ruefully watched as the life slipped away from the man he’d known and respected for decades.

“Picard is dying,” Arcana told Naseema tenderly as the Feeonix took a few steps towards the huddled group. Arcana reached out and tried to steady her as she staggered to one side, no longer able to catch her breath.

Picard spotted Elnor and lovingly said his name as he reached out to him. Elnor, eyes wide and traumatized, forced his feet to move and went to his mentor. He knelt beside Agnes so Picard could caress his cheek. Then, the old man looked at Raffi, who cradled his head in her lap.

“Raffi,” he said as his voice started to fade.

Raffi did her best to smile at him.“Yes, JL, I’m right here.”

“You were quite right.”

“About what JL?" she asked as tears streamed down her face, but Picard didn't answer her. He exhaled a gentle sigh as his head rolled to one side, and they all realized he was gone.

Naseema could hear the sobbing nearby even though her vision was failing. “Captain?” she murmured as she blindly took one more step forward before she lost consciousness and pitched forward. Jagger heard the sound of her collapse, and Arcana's worried voice say Naseema's name. He straightened himself up, glanced over at them as he wiped his tears away, and saw what had happened. He ran over to them. Elnor, still in shock, turned as Jagger went by him. His eyes found the source of Jagger's distress, but all he could do was watch, paralyzed, as Picard lay dead beside him, and Naseema a few meters away, face down in a pool of her own blood.


	7. Awake

When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry at first, but eventually, the figure seated at the foot of the bed came into focus. His height and shoulder-length wavy blond hair gave him away, and Naseema smiled as the features of his face sharpened, and he became clearer.

“Jagger,” she said in a hoarse whisper.

His head popped up, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Hey there, sleeping beauty," he replied. Naseema tried to raise her hand but found she couldn’t move it. She looked down and saw another hand holding hers, and as her vision continued to return, she saw the head full of thick, dark hair resting on the bed. It was attached to Elnor, who was seated in a chair next to the bed, slumped over and motionless.

“ _Don’t try to talk out loud,”_ Jagger silently told her. _"That Romulan chick really fucked you up. She damn near took your head right off. It's going to be a while before you get your voice back."_

“ _I feel like I have been hit by a train,"_ she replied with a groan. She tried to sit up more but struggled to move without pain shooting through her. Jagger came over and propped her up with a couple of pillows.

“ _That might have been preferable,"_ he said. _"There would have been less of a mess. You really need to never do anything like this again. Picard died in Raffi's arms, and then I turned around to see you lying face down in a lake of blood with poor Arcana standing over you. It was like a horror movie and not one of the good ones. What were you thinking going out to that fucking cube with no backup?"_

“ _Jean-Luc is dead?”_ Naseema asked with a devastated expression.

“ _He's actually not, but that's a long story, and he tells it a lot better than I do,"_ he told her as he raised his eyebrows and shook his head gently. _“I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it myself.”_

“ _Am I dreaming?” s_ he asked, bewildered. _“This is bizarre. Jean-Luc died...but is not...dead. What are you talking about? I cannot remember what happened. How long have I been out?”_

“ _Well, you’re not dreaming,”_ Jagger told her. _“What’s the last thing you remember?”_

“ _I was at the Artifact, and I found the woman who murdered Hugh. We fought and-and the rest is blank,"_ she said.

“ _You lost that fight in spectacular fashion,”_ he replied. _“She managed to impale you three times, pinned you to a wall, and cut your throat wide open.”_

“ _How did I get here?”_

Jagger’s expression became gloomy. _“Elnor found you and carried you across the desert. He told me what you said to him out at Rios’ ship. Do you remember arguing with him?”_

Her eyes filled up with tears, and she nodded. _“I was so angry. I said vicious things, and I hurt him."_

“ _Yeah, you did,”_ Jagger said. _"Things he didn't deserve, and he came after you anyway."_ He lowered his eyes for a second before continuing. _"Look, Naseema, I know you have a hard time letting go of things, but this shit that's been going on for the last twenty years, it needs to stop. You're going to get yourself killed, and maybe that's what you've been trying to do, but I, for one, don't want to see that happen, and neither does he. You need to let someone in. I was hoping it would be me, but at this point, I’ll take whatever help I can get, and if he's willing to put up with your special brand of crazy, he’s good in my books. You’re bonded to him now. How do you think it’s going to affect him if you keep going down the path you’re on? It’s not just about you anymore.”_

With tears streaming down her face, she nodded and glanced down at Elnor. _“Is he alright?”_

“ _He’s had a rough few days,”_ Jagger replied, and a sympathetic expression crossed his face as he looked over at the young Romulan. “ _I can't remember the last time I saw someone cry so much. First, it was with me, then Raffi, and then Juliet. Between you and Picard...boy, you guys broke him down something fierce. He's hardly moved from that chair in almost seventy-two hours. He's barely eaten anything, and this is the first time I've seen him sleep at all. I've been here with him pretty much the whole time too, so, believe me, I know. We had to make him shower because he was covered in your blood. There was so much it soaked right through his clothes. Otherwise, even the Admiral couldn't convince him to move."_

“ _He wasn’t happy to see Jean-Luc alive?”_ she asked.

“ _Oh no, he was super happy to see Picard,”_ Jagger said. _"He almost fainted when he saw him. Honestly, if I didn't feel so bad for the kid, it would have been hilarious. He still wouldn't leave the room though I must have told him half a dozen times that you were going to be fine, but nope."_

“ _I really fucked up.”_

“ _Yeah, you did, and you’re so lucky he went after you,”_ Jagger told her as his voice became serious. _“It might have been days before we found you if he hadn’t brought you home. We owe him a debt.”_

Naseema looked down at him again. _“I owe him a debt.”_

“ _Well, I’ll leave you to it then,”_ Jagger said and smiled at her. _“Try to get him to eat something and let me know if you need anything.”_ She nodded at him and returned his smile. _“By the way,”_ he added as he moved towards the door. _"Don't strain too much, or you'll pop your stitches."_

After Jagger left the room, she eased herself onto her side and squeezed Elnor’s hand. He stirred and lifted his head. He blinked a few times to wake himself up, but quickly realized she was conscious, and looking at him.

“You’re awake,” he said with a tearful smile. She shimmied over to make room for him as he crawled on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

“I am so sorry, Elnor," she whispered as he buried his face in her shoulder.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he told her. She held onto him as tightly as she could even though it hurt, one hand on his head and her other moving up and down his back until they both fell asleep again. When she awoke next, he was still there. His head against her shoulder, and her head against his. He still had one arm draped across her torso, but his other had gone slack, and she could feel his hand at the small of her back. The room was dark except for the bedside lamp and the weak fire barely burning in the fireplace. Elnor's breathing was rhythmical, and he snored softly, so she knew he was still asleep. She sighed gently, and as she turned her eyes to the foot of the bed, she saw Picard. He sat there as he quietly watched them. She smiled at him, and he got up to sit on the bed, opposite Elnor.

“Welcome back,” he whispered.

"The rumours of your death have been greatly exaggerated," she replied wryly, her voice still weak and raspy. “What happened? I feel as though I’ve been asleep for a hundred years.”

“Dr. Jurati and Alton Soong transferred my consciousness into the golem,” he replied. “I’m a synth now.”

She looked at him quizzically. “I cannot hear your thoughts,” she said.

Picard nodded, “Yes, Jagger said the same thing. Soong couldn’t explain it either.” He glanced over at Elnor. “That does not look very comfortable for you,” he observed.

“Let him sleep,” Naseema said with a sad smile. “I have been told it has been a difficult several days for him.”

“Nobody has been able to convince him to leave your side,” Picard told her. “Apparently, the effect of your bond is stronger than you anticipated.”

“I have not done right by that bond,” she replied and looked away from him.

“It would appear it’s not too late to fix that,” he said.

“I am so ashamed of myself for having done this to him," she lamented. "He deserves better than what I have allowed myself to become, and if I could undo it, I would."

“And what is it you’ve become?”

“I do not even know anymore, but I am no longer the person you knew, Jean-Luc,” she replied. “I only seem to feed the worst parts of myself now.”

“I still recognize you,” he told her.

She let out a quiet, sad laugh. “That is only because I am currently sober.” Then her features took on an anguished expression. “You need to take him as far away from me as possible. I will only ruin his life.”

Picard looked at her sympathetically and sighed. “I couldn’t even get him to leave this room, so I’m not sure what makes you think I’d be able to convince him to leave the planet. He is the determined sort. It reminds me of a couple of other people I know who are both currently in this room as well.”

“Jean-Luc, I am serious. I will only-" she tried to insist, but he cut her off.

“I’m not going to tell him what to do with his life, Naseema. I've never known you to back down from a challenge, so perhaps you should accept this as a reason to turn things around.” She nodded and looked down at her lap.

“I do not even know where to begin.”

"I think letting go of the past might be a good place for that," he said. "Maybe we can both have a fresh start together."

She looked at him, and her lip started to quiver. "You mean by letting go of _him_.”

He nodded mournfully. “After I died," he began. "Before I awoke in my new body, I saw Data, and I spoke with him." Naseema pulled in a sharp breath and shakily exhaled. "He asked me to do something for him."

The Feeonix’s eyes glistened now. “What did he ask?” she wondered as she rubbed her fingertips together nervously.

“He asked me to terminate his consciousness. He wants to die,” Picard delicately told her.

She looked away from him and nodded, tears had already started to run down her cheeks. “I know,” she said in a choked whisper.

“We can say goodbye together," he said and put his hand on hers. "When you're ready." She was too upset to answer him with words, and she didn't want to wake Elnor, so she just nodded again. Picard knew she wanted to be alone, so he kept his hand on hers for another minute before he got up and slipped out of the room. She tried to keep her grief quiet and covered her mouth with her hand, but her young companion was already awake and heard her conversation with Picard. He said nothing as he adjusted his position and lifted her legs to rest them over top of his as if she were sitting in his lap. Then he shifted himself closer, re-positioned his arms around her so she could sob into his chest, and rested his head on hers.

***

By the time the sun peeked over the horizon, they sat, in her bed and examined the rapidly healing wounds on her torso as Elnor’s stomach demanded to be filled, and continued to make increasingly noisy gurgling sounds.

“You should go get something to eat,” Naseema finally suggested, her voice still raspy. “I need to get myself cleaned up anyway.”

“Don’t you need help?” he asked.

“I think I will be alright,” she replied as she looked at him sideways and arched an eyebrow.

“I meant getting out of bed,” he clarified and with a cheeky grin added, “but if you’re asking for more, I’m sure I won’t say no.”

“I am not asking," she laughed. "But I appreciate the gesture." He swung his legs off the bed and came around the other side to help her get up. He placed one hand on her back and took her hand with his other as he eased her forward so she could hang her feet over the side. Then she held onto his shoulder as he lifted her until her feet touched the floor. Once he was sure she was steady, he let go and took a step back still poised to catch her if her legs wouldn't cooperate. She took a couple of steps forward and gave him an affirming nod.

“I believe I am alright," she told him. "Thank you." A pleased smile appeared on his face, and then his stomach rumbled again. "Go on," she told him and shooed him out of the room. "By the time you return, I should be ready."

He did as he was told and made his way down to the cantina. As he approached the door, he heard several of the other Feeonix engaged in what sounded like a serious discussion. He slowed his gait and moved closer to the wall. _Even though he knew it was rude, he wanted to hear what they were talking about._

“I just don’t know what to do anymore,” Jagger said. “It’s like she has a death wish.”

“There are no maybes about it, man," Simon replied. "I've been trying to tell you guys she's suicidal for a long fucking time now, this is just the latest episode."

“We’re all aware she’s been slipping further into her depression, Simon, but I’m not sure she’s gone quite that far,” Juliet interjected.

“I disagree,” Simon argued. “Just look at the signs. She’s been perfectly content to let the entire universe think she’s already dead. She volunteers for every dangerous assignment that comes up and always insists on going alone. I almost had a stroke when Manny told me she took that Romulan kid with her when she went after the bastard who murdered Saga, and I thought maybe she was turning a corner, but then what did she do? She ditched him and went after a trained assassin in a Borg cube by herself.”

“Simon,” Juliet said gently. “I don’t think-”

"No," he replied. "Can we bloody well just talk about this for a minute? Jagger, remember when she could take on an entire squadron by herself and come out without a scratch? She gets hurt every time she goes off-world now. She's been trying to get herself killed. She doesn't seem to care about anything anymore. When she's here, which is rare, she hardly talks to anyone. She just holds up in her room, which is empty, by the way, because she has no personal possessions anymore, and she drinks. The only reason she ever goes down to the Station is to sit and talk to that fucking machine with Data's consciousness in it, and now Picard wants to disconnect it. I'm telling you, she'll spiral hard, and I'll be surprised if she doesn't just disappear in the middle of the night never to be seen or heard from again."

“Well, when you put it like that,” Jagger said as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He let out a loud sigh and slumped his shoulders. “I guess maybe it really is that bad.”

Juliet frowned with worry. "What should we do?" she asked. "Somehow, I doubt an intervention will have much effect, and it might even make things worse."

“You helped her when she first came here, didn’t you?” Simon suggested. “Maybe you can try talking to her again?”

“I didn't do anything," Juliet admitted. "She didn't make any progress until Bruce showed up and asked for her help creating Dahj and Soji."

“Well, maybe we should involve Soji then,” Simon said.

“Soji's got enough going on," Jagger told him. "We can't lay this on her doorstep. Besides, Naseema seems to avoid her. I know she helped Bruce create her, but now, I think there's too much Data there, and she can't handle it."

“Perhaps we should approach the Romulan boy?” Aronnox finally proposed. “She seems to be quite responsive to him, enough so that she unconsciously bonded herself to him.”

"Huh," Javier snorted. "We should add that to Simon's list. I mean, what the hell is that about anyway? Of all the lifeforms in the galaxy, she could have chosen, and she picks a teenaged, Qowat Milat monk. The other Romulans don't even take him seriously, and what's with the sword? It looks like a toy. Where the fuck did Picard find that kid anyway?"

“Vashti,” both Simon and Jagger replied.

“Jesus,” Javier said and made a face. “What a place to grow up. That whole planet’s like a giant refugee camp.”

“That’s because it _is_ a giant refugee camp,” Jagger clipped.

Javier shook his head. "I don't know that situation is weird. The kid seems a little touchy-feely for Picard...and Naseema. It’s not natural.”

"He's very cuddly," Juliet said. "It's adorable, and there’s nothing wrong with being affectionate. I don’t understand why you’re so weirded out.”

“He’s just used to the regular Romulans who’ll stick a gun in your face as soon as look at you,” Simon replied with a smirk. “He can’t handle one that expresses emotions other than arrogant superiority.”

“It’s because he’s only known the Naseema that exists now,” Jagger said and turned to look at Javier. "Before Data died, she was really affectionate too, and she and Picard always seemed to get along alright. I think Aronnox is right, Elnor's our best ally now. At least she seems to want to spend time with him, and she's bonded to him. Whether she meant to do it or not, she has to acknowledge it."

“Do you really want to put something like this in the kid’s lap, I mean, he’s just that, _a kid_ ,” Simon said. “That doesn’t quite seem fair.”

“He might be young and a little naive, but he's got grit," Jagger replied. "He went into that cube all by his lonesome too, just to find Naseema even after she said some pretty terrible things to him, and he did find her and carried her all the way home. He can handle this. I know he can. Look, I know this sounds crazy, but you never met Nasir. She was this close to giving up on humanity until he came along, and now she's at a similar crossroad. Believe me, I was skeptical at first too, but the similarities between them are remarkable, and I think there's a chance Elnor can pull her out of this. We just need to have a little faith in him."

“I don’t know,” Simon argued. “What are we supposed to say to him? Hey, here’s our dear friend, she’s an alcoholic train wreck, please save her from herself.”

“Maybe we shouldn't say anything to him," Aronnox said. "I bet the relationship will develop organically if we let it. Then, there's no pressure on the boy, and Naseema will be less likely to resist it if it's genuine. Her mental state is not something that will improve overnight, but if the bond she made is any indication, he has already begun to help her."

Outside in the hallway, Elnor was processing what he’d heard.

_He wanted to help. He liked Naseema, and even though he hadn't known her before Data died, or been around to witness her decline, he knew how much she was hurting. He could feel it every time she touched him, but he could also feel how much she cared for him and enjoyed his company. Her grief always seemed to subside, at least a little, the longer he was around her. He wouldn't have to do anything other than spend time with her, and he wanted to do that anyway._

So lost in thought, he didn't hear Salome sneak up behind him.

“Good morning, lover boy,” she cooed and squeezed his backside. He jumped but managed not to yelp and give himself away. He jerked away from her and pressed his back against the wall.

“Please don’t touch me like that,” he said as he uneasily eyed her.

“What are you doing out here in the hallway?” she asked with an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

“Nothing,” he quickly replied.

“You’re a terrible liar," she said and took a glance through the cantina's door. "Are they talking about you? Did you hear anything interesting?" she pressed, but he just looked at her stone-faced, and after a few seconds, she gave up waiting for him to answer her. "You know, someday you'll be begging me to touch you like that." He rolled his eyes, and she laughed as she started to walk away. "You’ll see.”

Salome went into the cantina and headed straight for the coffee machine. After pouring herself a cup, she turned around to face the room. “What are you all discussing in here?” she asked, her tone far too pleasant. “Everybody looks so serious.”

“Nothing important enough for you to worry about,” Simon told her. “And why are you in such a good mood this morning?”

“If it's nothing important, then why is the boy wonder hiding in the hallway eavesdropping?" she asked.

Jagger and Simon looked at each other and perked up their ears. “Goddammit, I can hear his stomach growling from here,” Jagger muttered and then called out, “Elnor, get that skinny, sword-wielding ass in here!”

“And what a nice, firm ass it is too,” Salome snickered and took a sip of her coffee.

Elnor slunk around the corner into the room and narrowed his eyes at Salome. She smirked back at him, but her satisfaction was short-lived as Jagger turned to her. "Salome beat it," She threw a disdainful look at him but did as she was told and walked out the rear door. Simon followed her and looked out to make sure she was gone before he joined Jagger in turning his attention to Elnor. "How much did you hear?” the Feeonix asked.

“Jagger,” Juliet jumped in. “At least let him get something to eat before you interrogate him.”

“Simon can get it for him," he replied. Simon nodded and went over to the replicator. "He likes oatmeal in the morning, right?" Jagger said and looked to Elnor for confirmation. The young Romulan nodded and sat down at the table. Jagger turned back to Simon to watch what he was doing. Simon called up the breakfast menu on the replicator and whizzed through the selections. "No, not that one, the maple," Jagger instructed. "Yeah, that one."

Simon waited for it to materialize while Jagger topped up his coffee and sat down across from Elnor. “I’m sorry for in-butting,” the young monk apologized.

“Nobody cares about that,” Jagger replied. “Everyone here eavesdrops like it’s a competitive sport. If we were that concerned about it, we’d have more doors and better soundproofing.” Aronnox sat down next to Jagger as Simon brought the cereal over and set it down in front of Elnor before taking a seat himself. “However,” Jagger continued. “We do need to make sure you understand what you overheard.”

“You're all worried about Naseema," Elnor replied. "You think she's letting herself get hurt on purpose, and you think I can help her."

“Sounds pretty accurate to me,” Aronnox said.

“That's the gist of it, but there's a little more to it than that," Jagger insisted.

“She hasn't been the same since she lost Data, and you believe she wants to die too," Elnor elaborated.

“Yes, indirectly," Jagger told him. "If all she wanted was just to be done with everything, it wouldn't be that physically hard for her to do it. She could just propel herself directly into a star or something. She's not there yet, but I do believe she's given up on trying to let go of her grief, and we're all concerned that if we let her continue down this road, eventually, it will completely consume her. If that happens, then it's far more likely she will take her own life."

"If nobody else manages to beat her to it," Simon added. "A big part of our worry is how reckless she's become. What happened out at the Borg cube is just the latest example, and I believe that the only reason she wasn't more seriously injured when she rescued you, is _because_ she rescued you. Somehow, you gave her a reason to pull her shit together, and we've all seen her mood improve since you showed up."

“We're not trying to scare you or put any pressure on you, and we know you'll be leaving soon," Juliet said. "All we're hoping is that if you continue to spend time with her while you're here, she'll see there's still good in the galaxy, and there are things worth living for."

“If I talk to Picard, I’m sure he’ll be willing to stay as long as needed,” Elnor offered with a hopeful expression.

“Look," Jagger replied. "I understand if you don't feel like you can keep this from him, but if you tell him why you want to stay, he'll want to help, and this kind of thing isn't really his forte. I love the old geezer, don't get me wrong, but he thinks he can fix everything with a speech and this is not the time for waxing philosophic, we've tried that. This is the time for cuddles and absolute candor, and _that_ , my friend, is _your_ forte, aside from cutting people’s heads off.”

Elnor gave Jagger a sympathetic smile. “I want to help her,” he said. “I know how sad and alone she feels because I can feel it too.”

“This is fucking ridiculous," Javier finally piped up from the corner. "She's one of ours, and she's our problem, not the kid's. You shouldn't be trying to put this on him, and _cuddles_ aren’t going to fix anything.”

“You know what, dude," Jagger snapped and twisted around in his chair. "You've made it pretty fucking clear that Naseema's depression makes you uncomfortable, and so far you haven't offered any suggestions, just criticism. She's not a _problem_ we have to deal with, she's our family, and she needs help. Seriously, just go. Nobody will think less of you."

“I thought the same thing a few days ago," Simon added. "And after I gave it some thought, I changed my mind. Naseema may have unconventional tastes when it comes to bonding but at the end of the day, I think her choices say a lot more about the people she chooses than it does about her and we're all accepting Elnor as part of the family now, so you might as well start adjusting to that."

Javier snorted dismissively. Elnor heard what had been said about him earlier, and he felt his ears growing hot with anger as he thought about it.

"Caring about the people in my life and wanting to express how I feel about them does not make me weak," he said with so much conviction that Simon and Jagger exchanged impressed looks. "I do like to cuddle, and I'm not ashamed of that," he continued as he got up out of his chair and put his hands on the table as he leaned towards Javier. "And I don't abandon someone who needs my help just because they might not be my problem, especially if that someone saved my life. If you don't want to help, then stay out of the way."

Javier was completely taken aback and didn’t know what to say. “I-I’m sorry,” he finally replied. Elnor nodded and sat back down. Still stunned, the Feeonix took his coffee and left the room.

“Good for you,” Aronnox said with an impressed nod.

“He never apologizes,” Juliet added. Simon and Jagger just continued to smile and nod their heads in approval until the latter finally spoke.

"Today isn't going to be a good day. Picard plans to terminate Data's consciousness, but we should be able to encourage her to move forward from here.”

“What should I expect?” Elnor asked. “Do you have any advice?”

"If she even lets you in, she's probably going to get very drunk, and there will be a lot of crying," Jagger told him.

“So much crying,” Juliet said.

“You’re right,” Elnor agreed as he looked at Jagger. “That is my forte.”

Once he finished his breakfast and enjoyed a little camaraderie with his new adopted family, Elnor left them to return to Naseema’s room. When he was gone, Simon placed his cup on the table and turned to the others.

“You know, there’s the chance for some serious complications to arise from this. What are we going to do when the kid leaves?” he asked with a worried sigh. “They’re bonded and if we encourage her to embrace that it’s going to rip her in half all over again once he’s gone.”

Jagger matched Simon’s sigh. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he replied.

_He knew he was going to have to convince Naseema to return to Earth with Picard and the others. She already loved Elnor, she just couldn't admit it to herself yet, and she needed a break. A break from skulking around in the dark and killing, and long periods with only herself for company. A break he knew she wouldn't take so long as she stayed here with the rest of them. She needed somebody to care for again, and by some miracle of fate, she found Elnor, who possessed every quality that pulled her in like the gravity of a collapsing star. He felt a twinge of guilt for pushing the kid toward her so hard, but if it saved her, how much harm was there in it, really?_


	8. The Beginning

When Elnor made it back to Naseema’s room, Picard was already there waiting for her in the hallway.

“I hope you finally had a good meal,” he said when he saw Elnor coming toward him.

“Yes, I did,” the young Romulan replied with a smile.

“I’m glad to hear that, I was beginning to worr-”

“You can come in, Jean-Luc!” Naseema’s voice called from inside.

Picard turned to his ward. “Shall we?” Elnor nodded and followed Picard into the room. Naseema was still in the bathroom, but after a minute, she came out wearing a loose-fitting dress in a dark amethyst colour.

“Wow,” Elnor said, his eyes widening when he saw her. “You look...” he paused as if searching for the right word.

“Beautiful?” Picard offered. Elnor smiled and nodded his head.

“Thank you,” she replied. “Data always liked this colour, and it felt...appropriate." A sad smile crossed her face, but she almost immediately brightened up again. “I have a surprise for you when we get to the Station, Elnor.”

“Really?” he asked enthusiastically. “What is it?”

"If I tell you, then it will not be a surprise," she told him.

“Well, let’s get going then,” Picard said to her. “We don’t want to keep the poor boy in suspense.”

“No, I suppose we do not,” Naseema replied with a mischievous grin. As the trio walked to the station, Picard and Naseema stayed close together. Elnor balanced on, leapt across, and vaulted over the obstacles along the way. “You are missing your daily training routine,” she observed.

“Yes, a little,” he admitted and flipped from a large boulder to land near her.

“We will have to do something about that,” she said and smiled at him.

“I could train with you,” he suggested with a hopeful tilt in his voice.

“You could, but most of my exercise involves dance and yoga,” she replied. “I am not sure how stimulating you would find that.”

“What’s _yoga_?” he asked.

“It is an ancient meditative and philosophical discipline designed to achieve liberation and enlightenment," she explained. "Although I mostly use it to maintain flexibility and muscle density."

“Can you show me sometime?” he asked, his eyebrows raised in interest.

“Of course.”

As they arrived at the Station, they passed Rios and several of the synthetics engaged in an impromptu game of football, which Raffi was watching on the sidelines. They waved a greeting as they headed for Alton Soong's lab, where they found Agnes and Soji. Naseema beckoned for Elnor to follow her, and she led him to Bruce Maddox's former quarters. She went over to the bed and got down on her hands and knees to look underneath it.

"There you are," she said. "Come here, I have someone who would like to meet you." Picard and Agnes came in and stood near the door behind Elnor. Finally, Naseema pulled something from underneath the bed and held it against her chest as she stood up. When she turned around, Elnor saw she had a small furry animal with orange stripes in her arms.

His eyes widened with delighted surprise. “Is that a cat?”

“Yes, it is,” she replied. “I heard you have always wanted to see one. Elnor, this is Spot II.” He came towards her tentatively and put his hand out to touch it. He hesitated at first, but she encouraged him.

“On his head,” she told him. “He also likes chin scratches and ear rubs.” With shining eyes, he ran his hand over Spot's fur a few times, and Naseema motioned him towards the bed. He sat down, and she gently put the cat in his arms. He continued to pet it, rubbed under its chin, and scratched behind its ears while the animal purred contentedly.

“Is this what Data’s cat looked like?” he asked.

"Almost identical," Naseema replied. "This Spot has much better manners, though. The original Spot was _not_ very well behaved."

“Hello Spot,” he said as he brought his face in close. Spot responded by rubbing his head against Elnor’s cheek. “I like ear rubs too,” he grinned.

Picard and Agnes were still watching by the door, and she leaned close to him to quietly say, “I think this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I think I might have to agree with you,” Picard replied as Alton appeared in the doorway.

"I'm finished in the lab, Naseema if you want some time," he said to her.

Her expression dropped a little, and she replied, "Yes, thank you, Alton." She glanced at Picard as she left the room, and the look in her eyes was heartbreaking.

“Agnes, can I get your assistance with something?” Alton asked as he motioned out of the room with his thumb.

“Sure,” she nodded and followed him into a room across the hall. Picard went over and sat on the bed next to Elnor.

“I suppose I’ll have to get you one of these infernal creatures now,” he said with amusement.

"Maybe," Elnor replied with a content smile as he continued to cuddle the purring feline.

“I want you to know how sorry I am that these last few days have been so hard on you, and I am glad to see you’re feeling better,” Picard told him. Still petting the cat, Elnor met his eyes.

“Thank you,” he replied, his voice quiet and thoughtful. “I was heartbroken when I thought you had died. I've never felt that way before, and it was like someone was sitting on my chest, crushing all the air out of me. I couldn't breathe. All I could think about was how unhappy I felt, and the only person I wanted to talk to was in a coma. I didn’t know what else to do other than sit there and wait for her to wake up.”

“I know what it's like to lose someone close to you, and I am sorry you had to go through that, especially without the person you felt you needed most," Picard said. "I do wish I could promise that you'll never have to experience that again, but I'm afraid life is rarely that cooperative.”

“You will die again, someday," Elnor replied. "And I know I can never truly prepare myself for that, but right now, I'm grateful that we’ve been given more time together.”

“So am I,” Picard agreed and then looked at him softly. “You saved her life, Elnor, and the other Feeonix are extremely grateful to you for your actions. Are you aware of that?”

He nodded. “Yes, but I didn’t save her life, not really.”

"You did save her life," Picard gently corrected. "She is very strong, but she's by no means indestructible.”

“She would have done the same for me,” Elnor insisted. “I only wish I could have found her before she was injured. I shouldn’t have let her go alone.”

“You care for her a great deal,” Picard said almost as if he were asking a question. Elnor nodded and remained quiet for another minute, still holding the purring cat in his lap. Picard knew he was thinking about something that concerned him, so he finally asked, "Would you like to talk about whatever is on your mind?"

“Why do you want to do this to her?” Elnor asked and met Picard’s gaze with a sad look in his eyes.

“Do what to her?” Picard inquired with confusion.

“I don’t understand why you want to take Data away from her?”

“Elnor, I don’t want to take him away from her, and that’s not really what’s happening,” Picard replied. "His whole life, all Data ever wanted was to be human, and he did nearly everything he possibly could to reach that goal. One of the defining aspects of humanity that eluded him was a finite existence. He wanted to live, knowing that one day he would die, just as all of us will. He does not want to continue to exist as a consciousness cycled through a machine. Naseema understands that, and she wants to honour his wishes, she's just having a hard time letting him go."

"She wants to die too," Elnor said quietly, as he looked down at Spot II.

“What makes you believe that?” Picard asked, a little concerned.

"Jagger told me that, and Simon, and Juliet too," he replied. "I can feel it when I touch her. She misses him so much, and her pain is so real, but she can't let go of it."

A thick frown overtook Picard’s face. “Why didn’t they tell me,” he asked himself aloud.

“Because they don’t believe you can help her,” Elnor said. “They think she allowed the Zhat Vash assassin to hurt her on purpose and they told me it wasn't the first time its happened either. They said she drinks all the time, and when she's at home, the only time she leaves her room is to come here, to talk to Data's consciousness. They're afraid for her, and I'm afraid for her too."

“My God," Picard whispered. "I know she isn't in the best place right now, but I had no idea it was that serious. When did they tell you all of this?”

“This morning at breakfast,” he replied.

“Do you know why they told you?”

"They didn't tell me, at least not at first. I overheard them talking, and then Salome caught me and told them I was listening," he admitted.

“ _Elnor_ ,” Picard scolded at first but sighed and gave the young Romulan a patient smile. “I hope they weren’t too angry with you.”

“No, they weren’t,” he said. “And then they did talk to me about her. They think because she bonded to me, it's a good sign, and they believe I can help her.”

“Do you believe you can help her?” Picard asked.

“I don’t know. I want to, but I'm not sure how,” Elnor sadly admitted.

“Did Mr. Jagger not offer you any guidance?”

“He told me I should continue spending time with her and just be myself,” he said. “He thinks that’s enough but-”

“But you’re not sure,” Picard said, finishing the thought.

“No.”

"Mr. Jagger and I haven't always seen eye to eye on a lot of things, on most things actually,” Picard told him. “I think in this case, however, I’m inclined to agree with him. He’s known Naseema for a very long time, longer than most people can fathom. I know he loves her, and he will do anything he can to help her. You're strong, Elnor, and if he has faith that the bond you share will be enough to help her move on, then it will be enough.”

“I hope so,” Elnor replied, still uncertain.

“I know so,” Picard said with an encouraging smile. Then he stood up. “I think it’s time. You’re welcome to stay here and wait if you prefer.”

“No, I want to be there,” Elnor insisted. Picard nodded gently as the young Romulan rose and put the cat down on the bed after giving it one more quick snuggle. Then, together they went to say goodbye to Data for the last time.

Alton's lab was filled with the early afternoon sun as Picard and Elnor, along with Alton, Agnes, and Soji gathered around the gently humming machine that housed Data’s consciousness. Naseema stood next to Picard, her breathing shaky and her bottom lip quivering as he turned to her with an empathetic expression before he removed the first of three isolinear chips that would terminate what remained of the love of her life.

_She spent the last of the time she would have with Data telling him how much she loved him and wished she could join him wherever he was. She told him about the open-hearted, compassionate young Romulan whose life she saved, and told him how she believed he would have liked him had they met. Then, she asked him to forgive her for bonding herself to that same young man. She told him how lonely she was without him, how empty her heart was, and how she needed someone to care for again. She told him nobody could ever replace him. She told him about Picard's remarkable journey and that she hoped they had the chance to say everything they wanted to each other. She told him about Soji and how much like him she was. She told him Jagger missed him even though he'd never admit it. She told him she hoped he was happy wherever he was, and she also hoped Dahj was with him. She told him if he met Nasir again to give him her love. She told him she would never forget him as long as she lived and how sorry she was for being unable to let him go completely. Then she sat in silence for a while and wished she could find a way to ease the hurt. She tried to steel herself for this moment, but now that it was here she knew it was useless. Twenty years of grieving had left her too tired to hold it together anymore._

As Picard moved his hand towards the final chip, Naseema placed her hand on his and stopped him. With tears running down her face, she looked in his eyes and very quietly said, “I will do it.”

Picard nodded and moved aside as she slowly gripped the edge of the chip with a shaky hand. As she pulled it from its slot, the lights on the machine that housed it went out, and the gentle humming ceased. Gripping the chip in her hand, she braced herself against the machine and sobbed. It was devastating to watch, and Agnes felt her own eyes filling with tears as Alton silently ushered both her and Soji from the room. Picard stoically sat on a nearby chair as Elnor moved over beside Naseema and gently took the chip from her hand. She let him take it, and even as tears continued to stream down her face, she pulled in several deep gasping breaths to calm herself. Elnor looked at her with wide, sympathetic eyes until she gave him a nod to let him know she was alright. He slid his hand into hers, and she accepted with a tearful smile. She turned to Picard. “I know there are things you wish to discuss with Alton,” she said. “I will be alright.” Picard nodded and stood up. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. Then he glanced at Elnor, who responded to the silent signal with a nod of his own. After Picard left the room, she turned to her young friend. “You must be getting hungry,” she said with another deep breath. “We should go get you some lunch.”

“I’d like that,” he smiled.

Knowing she would want some space, the other Feeonix quickly cleared out of the cantina when Naseema and Elnor walked in still holding hands, but Jagger managed to give the young Romulan an encouraging look before gathering up his things and leaving. Naseema poured herself a cup of coffee, and Elnor fixed himself some lunch, and they sat across the table from each other.

“Do you like the food here alright?” she asked.

"I do," he replied. "It's not like the food at home, but I do enjoy it."

“Did the convent have a replicator?” she wondered as she took a sip of her coffee.

"No, we cooked our meals," he told her between bites. "Well, mostly me.”

“You did most of the cooking?”

“Mmhmm,” he replied with a nod because his mouth was full.

“I bet you are a good cook,” she said with a warm smile.

“I’m alright, I think. Nobody ever complained about my cooking,” he shrugged. “Making bread is my favourite.”

“You will have to do that for me sometime.”

“I thought you didn’t eat?” he asked with a curious look.

“I would make an exception for you and your bread," she replied, and he rewarded her with a very pleased smile.

“Would you like to fight when you finish eating?" she asked and raised her eyebrows hopefully.

“About what?” he replied with a confused look on his face.

“Not what,” she said. “With and where. Would you like to spar with me in the gym after lunch?”

He stopped eating and looked at her as his eyes lit up. “Really?!” he asked, his face begging her for confirmation.

“Yes,” she said, surprised and a little amused at his enthusiastic reaction.

“Yes, please!” he exclaimed excitedly. “I would fill me with joy to do that!”

"Alright," she replied with a gentle laugh. "When you finish, we will do that."

“I’m finished now,” he said and jammed the last bite, which really should have been two, in his mouth. He dumped his plate in the reprocessor as Naseema laughed again at his over-the-top reaction to her invitation. “Come on, let’s go!” he insisted, already moving for the door. She got up and disposed of her empty mug before following him out of the cantina.

***

They arrived at the gym after Naseema quickly changed her clothes, and Elnor was already bouncing around in excited anticipation.

"Should I choose a weapon now, or would you prefer to start with hand to hand first?" she asked.

“Can you use that staff you used on the Artifact?" he suggested. "I'd like to try my hand against that." She nodded and retrieved one from the array of weaponry on the wall. She extended it and approached him as she took a defensive pose. He pulled his _tan qalanq_ and took up a similar posture, holding his weapon raised and ready. She started spinning the double-bladed staff, and they circled each other a couple of times before she made the first move. Fast as a cobra, she swung the staff over her head before dropping down. She brought it into a lower arc and spun around. She lashed it out and caught his ankles, taking his feet out from underneath him. He hit the ground with a hard thud and cursed in his native tongue.

“That is not a nice word,” she teased and arched an eyebrow at him, pretending to be offended.

“How do you know so much Romulan?” he groaned as he got to his feet.

“Because I fought in the Earth-Romulan War and I was the primary negotiator for the Treaty of Algeron. I have been cursing in Romulan for more than two hundred years. I probably know words you have never heard before,” she replied.

“Fair enough,” he sighed and readied himself for another round. She advanced again and spun the staff around her entire body to create a nearly impenetrable tornado, but he was prepared this time. He carefully watched her and waited for the opening he knew would appear. It did eventually appear, and he slipped inside to bring his sword down hard against her staff and break her momentum. They locked eyes, and a pleased smile crept across her face. Now it was on. They exchanged blow after blow. They ducked, wove, flipped, kicked, and panted until he grabbed her wrist. She tried to twist out of his hold, but he was ready for the counter move and easily spun her to the ground, or so he thought. She slid the staff between his feet, and in the next move, she launched herself off the floor in an impressive spin, kicked the staff up, and caught him behind the knee. She took him down, and by the time he hit the ground, the blade was pointed right between his eyes.

“Damn it!” he exclaimed. “How did you do that?”

“Practice," she replied. "Would you like to try the same weapon?" He nodded, and she let him up. She handed him the staff and went back to the wall to fetch another one. She waited while he familiarized himself with its length and weight, and within a few minutes, they were back at it. He proved to be very adept and quick to learn both her rhythms and vulnerabilities. His skill resulted in many rounds where she was not the victor. Then, she chose a sword similar to his own and happily allowed him to show off his prowess for a while until they dropped the weapons altogether. More violent fun ensued as they knocked each other around. They kicked, punched, twisted, spun, and threw each other to the ground until both their chests were heaving and their faces glistened with sweat.

“Are you guys finally tired yet?” Jagger asked from the door where he’d been watching. “You’ve been in here for hours. It’s almost dinner time.”

“How long have you been there?” Naseema asked as she smiled and came toward him.

“Long enough,” he smiled back.

“Yes, I believe I have had a sufficient workout. Thank you, Elnor," she said, the reply directed at Jagger, but the look went to her young friend.

“No, thank _you_ ,” he said. His eyes glowed with the rush of their vigorous sparring. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I’m going to go get cleaned up before I come down for dinner.”

“Yes, I am going to so as well,” she agreed. “I will see you in a little while.” Still panting, Elnor nodded and headed to his room. Jagger came up beside Naseema and slung his arm around her shoulder.

“If I didn’t know better,” he whispered in her ear. “I’d guess you two just fucked each other’s brains out. You’re both positively glowing.”

“That is just so lovely, Jag, _really_ ,” she replied and rolled her eyes. “I will see you later.” Jagger let his arm slide away and watched her walk down the hall.

_He’d seen the look in Elnor’s eyes thousands of times, in many young men before, and he knew exactly what it meant._

Elnor tugged his hair out and got the shower running before he quickly stripped his sweaty clothes off. He wrapped a towel around his waist and took them out into the bedroom to put them in the cleaning processor before getting in the shower. He let the hot water run over him for a while before he lathered up, to enjoy the feeling of the steam and heat, and let it relax both his mind and his muscles.

_He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun with a sparring partner. She made him feel so alive. It was a challenge to fight against someone physically stronger and faster. She forced him to take his time and to learn her style and rhythm. He even picked up a few new skills from her. He hoped she enjoyed herself as much as he did and would want to spar with him again. Someone who could not only keep up with him but surpass him as well was something he wouldn't be able to find just anywhere, and he was thrilled to have the opportunity._

He was too inexperienced to recognize the truth, which was that he’d never been more turned on in his life. She flipped a switch inside him, and it was only a matter of time before he would be able to see where the feelings he had now were leading him.

Lucky for her, he was so concerned with his thoughts, he hadn't noticed he wasn't alone. Staying remarkably quiet and still, she was able to watch him secretly from the bedroom.

_Too bad he’s too stupid to close the door, she mused as she spied on him using the large mirror in the bathroom. She watched him get out of the shower and admired the genetic handiwork. He has a nice body, for an organic, she decided. He was tall and slim, maybe not as built as that other one, Rios, but he still had good muscle definition and a fantastic backside. She already knew about that last feature, since she helped herself to a handful of it earlier that day. Even though she was perfectly content to peruse his physical attributes, his presence on the planet made her angry. All she ever heard from the other Feeonix was how terrible the Romulans were and how great a threat they posed to all of them. Then, Naseema had the nerve to traipse in with him in tow as if it were no big deal and tell her to keep her hands off. To top it off, the others all sided with Naseema. That wasn't how things worked. This was her home too. She wasn't about to let this pointy-eared interloper settle in and get comfortable, no matter how good he looked without any clothes on. She was going to teach him a lesson about who he was really fucking with. That is exactly what she would do, she decided. She would fuck him, and if she killed him, oh well. Then maybe Naseema would learn to follow the rules for once like she was always expected to._

By the time he finished in the bathroom and came out to retrieve his clothes, his surreptitious visitor had disappeared, and he was none the wiser. He got dressed and headed down to the cantina.

***

When Naseema didn’t appear for dinner, Elnor started to get worried.

_He thought they had a great time this afternoon, and even though this morning had been rough for her, she seemed to have turned a corner. Then, he remembered what Simon said about her tendency to hide in her room and drink. Jagger also warned him it would be a bad day, and the two Feeonix didn't seem like the type who were wrong very often, especially when it came to Naseema. He tried not to obsess about it, but it was hard not to. He didn't want her to feel alone, but he also didn’t want to invade her privacy. He wasn’t sure what to do._

Jagger noticed the repeated glances Elnor kept throwing over his shoulder at the door. He could also see the kid was trying hard not to appear distracted, so when he got the chance, he gave him a knowing look and came over to sit next to him.

“Expecting someone?” Jagger asked, and Elnor gave him a frustrated look.

“I don’t know what to do,” he quietly complained. “She said she would see me later and she seemed happy. I didn’t feel anything that would make me worried, what happened?”

“She said she would see you later, but she didn't say where and she didn't say she’d be sober either,” Jagger told him. “As for what happened, well, she got left alone with her thoughts.”

“What should I do?”

“Don’t stress yourself out,” Jagger said and put an arm around Elnor’s shoulders. “You did good today, and you can't watch her every minute. Take the rest of the day off. I’ll check on her later.” Elnor sighed and nodded. He tried to enjoy the rest of his evening but still had difficulty focusing on anything else, so he finally went back to his room. He got himself ready for bed, but his mind wasn't having any of his attempts to get to sleep. He paced around for a while and took out his _tan qalanq_ to do some exercises, but even after that, he still couldn’t quiet his thoughts. He finally left and went down the hall to Naseema’s room.

Stepping out of the shadows, she glared at his back as he exited. Tonight wasn't going to work out for her, so once he was gone, she retreated, determined to return another time.

He rang the bell four times, but she didn't answer. _Maybe she wasn’t in her room._ He decided to check around before he returned to his own quarters. She wasn’t in the gym, so he wandered down to the cantina and passed Simon's office on his way. The light was on, but the room was empty. He poked his head into the cantina and found Simon sitting at the table with a pint of beer next to him while he played a solitary card game.

The Feeonix looked up at him and smiled sympathetically. “She’s in the lounge, down the other hall, first door on the right. You can’t miss it.” Elnor nodded and followed Simon's directions. He could hear music before he reached the door, and when he peeked in the room, he found her at the piano, singing to herself. He approached and saw the drink resting on top of the instrument. He quietly sat down next to her, and he could smell the gin on her. She didn't stop moving her fingers across the keys or singing, but she looked over to acknowledge him, and when she finished, she put her hands in her lap.

"I am sorry, Elnor," she said sadly. "I am a bit of a mess right now, but what can I do for you?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I just wanted to come sit with you for a while." She nodded and went back to her songs. All of them were sad but sensual, and even though she was drunk and could barely keep herself upright on the bench, she didn’t seem to miss a note or a lyric. She didn’t have a technically proficient voice, but it was powerful and emotional, and he thought it sounded beautiful.

_He wondered how long she'd been playing before he came in. The pungent smell of the gin was strong, and he also wondered how much of it she'd had. He wanted to touch her, even if only to get an impression of what she was feeling but at the same time, he didn’t need to. It was obvious she felt worse than earlier today. He still didn't understand why Picard insisted on terminating Data's consciousness. It was just a machine, how aware could Data have been in there? He understood Picard felt a deep loyalty to the android, but what about Naseema? Data was already dead, why push her in the same direction just to fulfil some request that may or may not have been imaginary, to begin with? He was sure Data wouldn't want to see her hurting this much. He certainly didn't like it. It made him want to curl up and hold her until her grief was gone._

“Data always loved this one,” she tearfully told him as she started into a new song. He sat and listened to her play for a long time until she couldn’t make her voice work through her tears anymore. She finally let out a tired sigh, wiped her cheeks, and downed the last of her drink in one gulp.

“Let me take you back to your room,” he offered, and after another sigh, she nodded. He put his arm around her and guided her down the hallway. Once they were inside, she immediately retrieved another drink from the replicator and sat on the bed. She picked up the guitar lying near her and positioned it in her lap. She took a long sip from her glass and plucked at the strings.

“You do not have to stay, Elnor,” she said to him. “I am afraid I am not very good company tonight.”

“Can I stay if I want to?” he asked. She rested her arm along the edge of the guitar and looked at him. His big, soulful brown eyes destroyed any resolve she had to be alone.

“Yes, honey, you can stay if that is what you want," she said. "I am beyond saving, though, so if that is your intention, I am afraid you are years too late."

“I don’t believe that,” he replied. “And I still want to be here with you even if you think that about yourself.” She nodded as new tears formed in her eyes. She took another drink and started strumming another depressing song on the guitar, and when it was complete, she switched to a different mood. The songs became less melancholy, almost as though she was playing all her favourites one last time before leaving them behind forever. He lay down across the bed and propped his head up with his elbow while he quietly listened. Eventually, she stopped playing and put the guitar down because her drink was empty.

"You don't have to stop," he told her. "I will get you another one." He got off the bed, and as she looked at him, her face crumpled, and she could only nod. He brought the new one over, handed it to her, and sat on the bed again.

_He wished there was something more he could do for her than just ferry drinks across the room. He knew Jagger was right, he was too young to understand the depth of her grief, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking to watch. He didn’t think she deserved to feel the way she did even though she seemed to believe it was some kind of karmic justice for past wrongs. Not knowing what else to do, he did what Simon and Jagger told him to and stayed there to quietly wait for some sign or an opening that would let him know what she needed because it certainly wasn't more gin._

She downed nearly the entire thing in one breath. Then she pulled her knees up and folded her arms across them as she let the glass dangle from her fingertips. “You know,” she said as her eyes looked off into nothing. “All my life I have been good at exactly two things, entertaining people and killing them. Guess which one I have been doing for the last twenty years?" He knew she was just talking out loud, so he stayed silent but looked at her sympathetically. “I am so tired,” she whispered and rested her forehead down on her arms. “I do not wish to do this anymore.”

_She’d never felt so empty in her life. She didn't want to be here anymore, didn't want to fight anymore, didn't want to feel guilty anymore. She couldn't control her power. She was losing it to the predator, and it was only a matter of time before she did something truly horrific. Even the alcohol wasn't helping like it used to. She didn't want to put Elnor through this, but she couldn't bring herself to drive him away._

He sat quietly beside her with his hands in his lap while she cried.

_He knew she meant she was tired of life and didn’t want to live any longer. He needed to do something for her, to give her even the tiniest sliver of hope. His strengths didn't involve words, and considering how little success any of the others had with them, they weren't going to do much anyway, but he had to try._

“I know you are tired," he said. "Just tell me what you need me to do, and I will do it."

“You need to run as far away from me as possible, Elnor,” she replied. “I will only drag you down with me.”

“That isn’t true.”

“I am so sorry for what I have done to you. You deserve better than this-this wreckage.”

“I'm not sorry, and you aren’t a wreckage, you are just lost,” he replied. “Please, let me lead you home.” She turned her head to look at him, and he put his hand on her cheek.

_The feelings that rushed into him were alarming. She was more than tired, she was finished...with everything. He knew if he left her alone, he would never see her again. That scared him, and he felt panic bite at his gut. He couldn't let that happen. He didn't understand why his feelings were suddenly so strong, but he wasn't about to lose her._

He slid closer to her. “I want you to spend the night with me. If you still want to be alone in the morning, I will leave.”

_Why was he so persistent? She wasn't worth all this trouble._

“Elnor, I-”

“I’m not asking.”

She looked at him as if she were about to argue again, but her lip started to quiver instead, and then she completely broke down. He put his arms around her and tugged her toward him, almost expecting a fight, but she accepted. Her arms went around him, and she buried her face in his neck while she sobbed.

_He was determined to stay awake all night with her, but that was easier said than done. He'd hardly slept at all in the past week, and it was starting to catch up with him. He also had to contend with the enormous amount of energy she was putting out. He could already feel himself becoming calm and drowsy, but he shook it off, stubbornly blew the cobwebs off his brain and focused. He realized this wasn't about perfect words or some grand gesture. She didn't want to feel alone anymore. She needed someone to care for, someone to listen to, someone to hold her at the end of the day. He could be that someone for her, and he was starting to think maybe he wanted her to be that someone for him too._

He shifted his position so he could loop one of his legs around her. Then he squeezed her tight and rested his head on hers as he stroked her hair. “Please stay with me,” he whispered. “I don't want you to go." Her tears flowed steadily for more than an hour, but he stayed there with his arms locked around her.

Eventually, her sobs subsided, and she loosened her grip on him. "You do not have to stay, Elnor. I will still be here tomorrow, I promise.”

"What if I want to stay, not because I am afraid you will vanish if I leave but because I'm selfish, and I like having you all to myself?" he asked.

A sad laugh escaped her as she pulled away from him. "Would you like some tea?" she asked. He smiled and nodded his reply. He was slow to let his arms drop away from her as she got up to get them each a large mug from the replicator. When she returned, they curled up against the pillows and leaned on the headboard, using it as a table. “Tell me about Vashti,” she said.

“Vashti isn’t very exciting,” he shrugged. “I’m certain your stories are much better.”

“I do not care if Vashti is the most boring place in the galaxy,” she replied. “I want to know about all your favourite things to do and all the dark, secret places you discovered. I want you to tell me about your adventures and your dreams and your memories. I want to hear about you, Elnor.”

He looked at her a little surprised. “Alright.”

_Nobody had ever asked him to reveal those things before, and she was looking at him with expectant sincerity in her eyes. She wasn’t waiting to be entertained, she just wanted to know who he was and he wanted to tell her._

With captivated interest, she listened to him talk all about those things, and he answered every question she asked until their tea was long gone, and they slid down to lie facing each other in the middle of her bed. For the first time in hours, there was a silence between them, and she reached out to caress his face. "Thank you for staying," she said quietly.

“Please don’t thank me," he replied. "I wanted to stay, and you would have had to physically push me out the door to make me leave." His hand came up to hold hers against his cheek for a minute before he reached over and pulled himself toward her to rest his forehead on hers. “I enjoy spending time with you.”

“I enjoy spending time with you too,” she told him. “You should try to sleep. I promise I will not go anywhere.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to sleep. It’s your turn to tell me a story.”

“Alright,” she said and pulled back to prop herself up. “What would you like to hear about?”

“Tell me your favourite memories of Data."

_He felt a pang of guilt for asking her to talk about Data. On one hand, he thought it might be soothing for her to recall happier times and remember the person she was back then. On the other hand, he was also hoping the nostalgia might encourage her softer side to reappear, and she would want him to hold her again. He liked doing that._

He was right, talking about her favourite memories of Data did bring out her sentimentality, and she told him several sweet stories with a wistful look in her eyes. She didn't seem to notice when he took her hand and laced his fingers through hers, but if she did, she didn’t pull away.

_He was a little surprised by how much he wanted to be touching her. Juliet was right, he was cuddly, maybe even unusually so, but Naseema always seemed very receptive to that side of him. Maybe, that was why he liked her company so much. She was affectionate too, and she didn't seem put off by his desire for physical closeness._

His need for sleep finally caught up with him, and he quietly drifted off. It didn't take long for her to notice, and she lay there and watched him sleep for a while.

_What a sweet, tender boy he was, although, he wasn't a boy anymore, was he? He was a young man, but his sheltered innocence and boyish charm made him seem younger. She knew it was inappropriate, but she couldn't help her attraction to him. He had a wonderful personality and such a pure, untainted spirit. The more she got to know him, the more he reminded her of Nasir and yet, the more the differences between them grew. Elnor wasn't as reserved, and she found she quite enjoyed how uninhibited he was, and Nasir certainly wasn't unaffectionate, but she had to admit she was a little overcome by Elnor's extremely tactile nature. Even if he was simply holding her hand, he seemed to want to be touching her whenever he could. She liked that about him, and she was affected by his insistence that she spend the night with him. She knew he could feel what she intended to do, and he didn’t try to rationalize with her or convince her of the errors in her fatalistic outlook, he only asked her to stay because he wanted her to. It was honest, it was simple, and it worked. When she looked in his eyes, she knew she couldn’t abandon the bond she formed with him, and he made her want to stay._

She went outside just before the sun came up, and when Elnor woke up, he felt a terrible wrench of panic when he realized she was gone. He sat up and looked around. Then he saw her out in the courtyard. Relieved, he rolled off the bed and went to join her. She glanced over when she heard the door open and gave him a welcoming smile before she sat cross-legged on the ground. “Good morning," she said. "I hope you slept well."

“I think so,” he replied. “I don’t remember falling asleep.”

“I believe it was nearly three in the morning,” she told him as he sat down facing her. She looked at him with affection. "It was sweet of you to sacrifice your rest and well-being for me last night. I am sure sleeping in your clothes was not very comfortable.” She took his hands and squeezed them. “It meant more to me than you can ever know.”

“You needed someone to be there for you, and I wanted to be the one even though I didn't know what to do," he said. "I wish I could have been better for you or at least more articulate, and it wasn't a sacrifice, you're my friend. I know you would have done the same for me. Besides, I don’t have anything else to wear. I’ve been sleeping in my clothes since we met.”

"You did a lot more than you realize, and just being yourself was perfect,” she insisted with a lump in her throat. “Your openness and honesty were all I needed. I have felt broken for a very long time and now I at least feel as though I know where those pieces are supposed to fit."

“Do you feel better this morning?” he asked.

“Yes,” she smiled warmly.

“Then I am filled with joy,” he said and smiled back.

“So am I,” she agreed. “Are you hungry? Would you like to get some breakfast with me?”

"I would like that very much," he replied. They went back inside, but before leaving for the cantina, Naseema went right up to him and put her hands around his waist. She pulled them away, held them in position and examined the space between them. Then she quickly looked him up and down.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Attempting to assess your size,” she replied. “You should not have to spend the entire day and night in the same clothes.” She took a mental note and went to the replicator. She fiddled with the control panel for a minute before something materialized, and she brought it over to him. "These should be more comfortable for you to sleep in," she said as she handed the bundle of fabric to him. They were a sleeveless shirt, and pants in a very soft fabric, and a similar shade of blue as his clothes.

“Thank you!” he said, an expression of pleasantly surprised gratitude on his face.

“You are quite welcome,” she replied. “Let me know if they do not fit properly.” They stopped at his room so he could leave the new pajamas on his bed before they went for breakfast. Of course, Naseema didn't eat anything herself, but she sat with him and drank her coffee while he ate. They enjoyed a pleasant conversation with Juliet and Aronnox about how the assistance to the ex-borg survivors was progressing and how Raffi had been spending an increasing amount of time out at the crashed cube with Seven of Nine. Then, they headed straight for the gym to spend several more hours beating the tar out of each other. She showed him several more techniques with various other weapons and also taught him a few basic yoga poses. Then, they discussed meditation for a while before separating to get cleaned up. They reconvened for lunch, and afterwards, she, Jagger, and Simon taught him a card game. They were patient with him, and he was amused at how vicious and competitive they were with each other.

_He was sure he'd never heard so much swearing and name-calling at one time before, but she seemed far more at ease today than she had since he met her, and it made him happy to feel he was at least partially responsible for that. It was worth the loss of sleep._

By the time evening rolled around, Picard joined them, and after dinner, she asked the retired admiral, if he was interested in being entertained for awhile. He enthusiastically accepted her offer, and the majority of Control's population moved to the lounge. It was a large room with a high ceiling, a grand piano, and an assortment of various other instruments crowded into a corner. Despite the replicators being more than adequate, the room also had a well-stocked bar and an antique jukebox. There were a few scattered tables and chairs surrounding one side of a wood-inlaid stretch of floor that went from the piano, all the way across the room. It wasn't a particularly ornate room, but the Feeonix all seemed very relaxed and happy to be there. They immediately began to fix and pass out drinks as Naseema headed for the piano. Raffi and Seven returned from the cube just before dinner, and they joined the group along with Rios and Agnes, who also appeared to be getting cozy with each other.

Naseema sat on the bench, and Picard sat next to her. Elnor grabbed a stool and positioned it nearby so he could watch her play. She turned to Picard and asked, “Do you want me to play your song?” She gave a little lean towards him, and he smiled.

"Please," he replied with a nod, and she started to play for him, but then he lay his hand on hers. “It’s just not quite the same without-”

“I think I can help with that,” Jagger cut in. He pulled a beat-up looking harmonica out of his pocket and gave it a quick blast of air to warm it up. Naseema smiled and launched back into the old mellow pop song. Her fingers bounced up and down across the keys with far more joie de vivre than the night before.

“We’re in for quite a show, Elnor,” Picard said and leaned forward to look past Naseema at him. “These two have real showmanship,” Elnor remembered what she told him about being good at entertaining people, and he turned his eyes to Naseema’s fingers on the keys.

_He was looking forward to this. He enjoyed spending the day with her, and the warm, pleasurable feeling he had inside lasted the entire time. She was fun and easy to talk to. She made him comfortable like he didn't need to carefully consider everything he let come out of his mouth. It was almost like being at home in the Sanctuary._

She continued to play, her fingers danced with the keys during the verses and came down hard on the crescendos. She really threw herself into the show. She gave the old man a personal performance truly befitting the great Admiral Picard, and he loved every minute of it.

When the song was over, Jagger came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Scootch on over there, Pops, I know a good one. We’re gonna set this piano on fire.”

Picard eagerly slid off the bench and sat in a more comfortable chair next to Elnor. “Pay attention,” he said. “And prepare to be amazed.” Elnor nodded in reply and turned his eyes back to the piano. The song started slow and soft but promised to explode at any moment, and explode it did. Naseema and Jagger finished the first verse, and as the chorus came to completion, they abruptly sprang to their feet and knocked the bench right over. They played their boisterous duet so dramatically, they threatened to break the piano and caused the enormous instrument to move across the floor as they pounded on the keys. It was a thing to see them. The never stumbled. There was never a wrong pitch or misstep, and as the song reached its pinnacle, Naseema ran the length of the keys, and Jagger spun around her to trade places without missing a note. Elnor was enthralled. When they finished murdering the piano, Simon made sure the quiet pause wasn't long enough to ruin the party, and the other Feeonix all began shouting encouragements for the pair to move their show to the dance floor. They seemed to know the song Simon chose as well because they both continued singing as they circled each other before they finally launched into a fast, complicated, and strangely hypnotic series of moves that perfectly coordinated to the music. Laughing and gasping as Jagger finished flinging Naseema around the floor, they paused to catch their breath. It was brief, and as the next song came on, Naseema approached Rios and extended her hand to him. He looked up at her but didn't move.

“Mr. Rios,” she said, “Do not tell me you cannot dance. I can see in your eyes that you can.”

“This isn’t really my kind of music-” he started to argue.

Simon called out and interrupted him. "Wait, wait! I got something that'll get him on his feet." Rios tried to continue his protest, but as Simon settled on his selection and changed the song, the lively beat caught him. He straightened up and raised an eyebrow at Naseema.

Agnes nudged him gently. “Come on Cris, I want to see what kind of moves you’ve got.”

“Alright, you got me,” he replied. “Let’s do this.” While he couldn't do what Jagger could, he was still a surprisingly good dancer, and he and Naseema worked their way around the dance floor like they were passionately in love. Several of the Feeonix joined them, and as the song reached the halfway point, Elnor watched in astonishment as Picard got up and approached Rios.

“May I cut in?” the Admiral asked as he tapped him on the shoulder. Rios graciously waved him in and went over to invite Agnes to join him.

“How long has it been?” Naseema smiled as Picard stepped towards her.

“Far too long,” he replied.

“So, what do you say, should we show them all what we can do?” she suggested.

Picard let out a chuckle. “Absolutely,” he replied and spun her around. He swept her across the dance floor, and his long-dormant rhythm returned to him like magic. When the song was over, they walked arm in arm back over towards the piano, and Picard returned to his seat as Naseema collected Elnor. She brought him out onto the floor to show him what to do. He already possessed excellent balance and coordination, so it didn't take him long to pick up the steps and soon, he was twirling her around almost as skillfully as Picard.


	9. In the Dark

Elnor was exhausted by the time he made it back to his room. He almost went straight for the bed intending to sleep in his regular clothes but decided against it. Instead, he undressed and changed into the soft, loose pants and sleeveless shirt Naseema gave him earlier. He folded his clothes up and placed them on a chair before he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He finally collapsed into his bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He was so deeply asleep, he didn't even stir when she climbed into the bed next to him. Her energy field was strong enough to penetrate his subconscious, and a warm, sensual feeling ebbed its way through his body. She delicately traced her fingers down his bare arm and watched the smile spread across his face as he shifted his position to get closer to the source of the pleasurable feeling. His sleep was not so dreamless anymore. She continued to caress his skin, his face, and his hair and watched his reactions with interest. He seemed to enjoy her touch, his eyebrows, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly when she changed direction or moved to another part of his body. She wondered who he pictured in his mind as she teased his senses. She noticed the goosebumps spread across his olive skin, and the tiny, nearly invisible hairs rise in response to the stimulation. She grew bolder and leaned in closer to gently exhale a warm breath across his cheek. She traced the outside of his ear up to its point and down the other side, earning a low satisfied sigh in response. She cupped his cheek with her palm and dragged her thumb across his lips as she prepared to move in for a kiss, but as he shifted his position again and moaned almost too softly for her to hear, his hand came up to hold her wrist. He opened his eyes, and it took a few blinks for his vision to adjust to the dark, but as Salome's foggy outline sharpened, his eyes grew wide, and the smile disappeared from his face. He pushed her hand away and jerked himself backward.

“Who were you dreaming about?” she asked coyly and propped herself up on her elbow.

“What are you doing in here?" he demanded, becoming more horrified as the stupor of sleep fell away and the chilly realization of what was happening set in.

“You were enjoying yourself a minute ago," she replied with a slimy purr. "What's the matter, am I not who you were hoping I'd be?" Feeling violated, he didn't answer and edged further away as he clutched the bed linens tight against his waist. "You should close your eyes again," she cooed and patted the mattress next to her. "I can make you feel things you've never felt before, and you can pretend I'm whoever you want me to be."

_She already liked this. She could smell the fear on him, and it made the monster in the back of her mind squeal with glee._

“No thanks,” he said and uneasily eyed the exit from the corner of his vision. Salome caught him glancing at the door but remained undeterred.

_He felt sick. He didn't like Salome. Her aggressive advances already put him on edge, and this was way past trying to make him uncomfortable. He could see the look in her eyes, and he felt the strength of her energy field. She wanted him to be afraid, and he was._

“Those rumours aren't true," she told him, her voice still syrupy. "I'm not going to hurt you...unless, of course, you want me to." She sprang toward him suddenly. He tried to get away, but she was too fast, and his legs became tangled in the sheet. He flailed and reached for his _tan qalanq_ , but it wasn't where he left it, and then she was on top of him. She pinned him on his back and held his wrists against the mattress as she straddled him. "I bet you like it a little rough," she growled as she dragged her nails down his arm and let her hand pause at his throat. She increased the pressure only slightly, but it was enough to take his panic up a notch. He tried to push her off, but she was far stronger than she looked, and his struggle only increased her enjoyment.

_He felt the salty taste of impending hysteria rise in his throat. Every instinct screamed for him to fight, but he needed to remain calm and avoid making her angry. He knew what she was capable of and how quickly she could incapacitate him. If he cooperated just a little, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, and maybe she wouldn’t kill him._

She pressed her hips against his and leaned toward him. He squeezed his eyes shut as she licked the side of his face before she bit his ear hard enough to draw blood. He let out a sharp gasp and then started to whimper as she moved her hand down toward his waist. “ _Please_ , _don’t,_ " he begged. She sat upright and looked at him with curiosity. His dark eyes were full of fear, and she felt him tremble underneath her.

_What was this now? She'd seen him in the gym with Naseema, and she moved the stupid sword out of reach on purpose because she knew he could fight, and she expected it. Hell, she even looked forward to it. Beating him in a contest of sheer physical strength would've been fun, but this...oh, this was so much better. He was terrified, and she immediately realized why._

“Oh, wow," she said, smiling like an eager crocodile. "You've never done this before, have you?" Again, he didn't reply, but the expression on his face and his other physical responses told her the truth. His silent declaration excited her further, and she draped herself over him again. "I've always wanted to fuck a virgin," she purred. "I can do things to you that will blow your little backwater mind, baby boy. All you have to do is relax." She brought her hand to his throat again and positioned it up against his chin to hold him still as she pressed her lips firmly against his.

_He was a pure babe in the woods, and she guessed he’d never even made it to first base before. She hadn't anticipated this development, but it certainly wasn't a disappointment, and she even felt a rush of satisfaction knowing she was about to defile Naseema's, pristine little darling before turning him into a pile of ash._

As she pushed her tongue into his mouth, he grabbed her arms and shoved. He kicked his legs out and tried to throw her off, but all he accomplished was making her laugh. "Aww, were you saving yourself for someone special?" she teased. "Or do you just want me to tie you to the bed? I think we'd both enjoy that." She sounded playful, but he knew she was threatening him. She kissed him hard once more before she pulled away. She kept her face close to his and started to glide her hand down his body again. He gave up trying to push her off and grasped the bed sheet with both hands determined not to let it slide any lower. When she reached the hem of his shirt, she slithered underneath it and stroked his belly a few times before she brushed her fingers under his waistband. It made every muscle in his body tighten. Her hand was far too close to the part of his body he was trying to protect the most, and it intensified his panic response. She slowly pulled the drawstring of his pants loose while she caressed his face with her other hand and moved her mouth to his ear. "I can feel how excited you are," she whispered. "I saw you earlier, and a body like yours was made for this. I can make all your dreams come true."

_He shuddered at the revelation she'd been hiding in the shadows waiting for him the entire time, and his body was forsaking him. He didn't want this, but it didn't seem to understand that. He’d had enough of this nightmare and knew this was it. He either had to make one last attempt at escape or completely succumb to her and pray she didn’t kill him._

She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. Once she locked eyes with him, he saw the orange rings start to pulse and glow.

_He felt her pushing her energy into him and started to become lightheaded, just like before. He knew his mind wouldn’t be able to fight her off indefinitely. It was now or never._

He brought his knees up, dug his heels into the mattress, and pushed against it as hard as he could. He simultaneously braced his hands against her hips to keep her from moving with him. It was almost a futile effort, but as he wiggled himself from under her, fate intervened on his behalf, and he pitched headfirst off the edge of the bed. Salome lurched backwards to keep from falling, and he was free. He scrambled to his feet and yanked a pillow off the floor to use as a shield. He held it against himself and quickly backed towards the door.

Rather than follow him, Salome plunked herself down and crossed her legs. She rested her elbow on one knee and balled her fist up under her chin. “We’ll finish this another time, baby boy,” she cooed and stared at him with a disturbing mix of disappointment and satisfaction as he continued to move away from her out into the hallway, his eyes still wide and fearful. A sliver of light leaked out from under another door. It called to him, and he knew exactly where to go. He hurried to the source and, without hesitation, rang the bell.

***

When the indicator on her door sounded, Naseema left her spot on the bed to answer it. The door slid open, and she was surprised to see Elnor standing there barefoot and dishevelled in the pajamas she’d provided him. He clutched a pillow against himself with both arms and appeared visibly shaken.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, worried that something had happened to Picard.

“Can I stay with you?" he asked, and the desperation in his eyes alarmed her. She stepped aside and beckoned for him to enter. He slid past her, still clutching the pillow tightly.

“Are there monsters under your bed?" she inquired as she looked him up and down. His shirt was twisted, his hair was a mess, his pants were barely hanging onto his hips, and he was panting. "You look like you have seen a ghost." She touched his arm to reassure him and nearly recoiled as the full brunt of what he was feeling hit her. "Good Lord, what happened!?" She guided him to sit on the end of the bed. "You are shaking, and I can feel-" she dropped her voice down to a whisper, "oh my god!" She pulled her hand away and used it to cover her mouth.

“She was hiding in my room and-and she tried to-”

_He wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t make the words come out. He hadn’t even been this afraid when he knew he was about to be tortured by the Tal Shiar. He tried to force himself to calm down, but his mind kept pushing Salome to the forefront of his thoughts. He couldn’t stop picturing her face, her determined eyes, and he kept hearing her sybaritic voice telling him to relax. His revulsion was so powerful he wanted to vomit._

Naseema knew exactly who he was referring to. “So there was a monster _in_ your bed. Salome?” He nodded, still unable to pull a coherent sentence together. He let out a shattered sigh, closed his eyes, and rested his chin on the pillow.

_She was already annoyed about Salome’s earlier behaviour, but now she was becoming enraged. She couldn’t believe Salome’s nerve. After repeated polite requests from Elnor and less congenial instructions from the rest for Salome to leave him alone, here he was nearly terrified right out of his mind. She understood Salome struggled to keep her predator under control, and she was sympathetic for the most part, but the repeated advances were making him afraid for his safety, and that was bad enough. Sneaking into his room so she could watch him undress and then climbing into his bed while he slept was completely beyond the pale. It was a despicable violation of his privacy at the least, and she was positive it was far worse. His current emotional state was incredibly visceral, and it was one she found all too familiar. He had been violated in the worst way possible. What the fuck was wrong with Salome!? Once she got Elnor calm, she would stand guard over him so he could get some rest, and as soon as she got the chance, she would deal with Salome._

“You do not have to tell me anything if you do not want to," she told him. "I can feel what you are feeling, and I understand the desire to try to forget it happened."

“I am so humiliated," he muttered, and Naseema felt the grief and anger roil up inside her, but she forced it back down and swallowed hard to release its grip on her throat.

“I know,” she said as she fought to keep her voice steady and calm. “It is a natural response.”

“I should have been able to fight her off,” he insisted, the harsh words directed at himself.

“She is extremely strong," she told him. "The situation was out of your control, and the only person you should be angry with is Salome. _She_ attacked _you_.” He met her eyes but quickly looked away again as he chewed on his bottom lip. Then Naseema noticed his ear. “Elnor, you are bleeding!”

He touched his earlobe and saw the blood on his fingers. “She bit me,” he admitted, his eyes still on the floor. She slowly inhaled a deep breath to keep herself composed.

_Elnor needed her full attention right now. Losing her self-control and going after Salome in the middle of the night was not going to help him._

“Will you allow me to clean that up for you?” she asked. “It needs tending to.”

“It hurts,” he replied.

“Come with me into the bathroom," she said. "There is better light in there." She offered him her hand, and after hesitating for a few seconds, he accepted it. He left his pillow on the bed and let her lead him into the adjoining room. He'd been in there before but hadn't looked around until now. The floor was tiled with smooth river stones and a glass shower big enough for three people ran along the far wall. There was a deep, white porcelain tub sitting under an enormous skylight, and the walls were a peaceful pale blue. The accents were done in dark, exotic wood as was the furniture, and there were three large potted trees situated throughout the room. It was a relaxing private oasis, and he could already feel its atmosphere help to soothe his fractured nerves.

Still holding his hand, she dragged a wooden stool over to the generous sink with her foot, and he sat down. She retrieved a lidded basket from the tall cabinet next to the sink and then noticed him looking around the room.

“It is nice in here, is it not?” she asked.

“I could live in here,” he replied, grateful for the distracting conversation. As gently as she could, she began cleaning all the dried blood from his ear and the surrounding area.

"Luka created it for me," she told him. "He has a flair for design and is also responsible for my little courtyard." She stepped back to look at him and gave him a compassionate smile. "I am sorry, but I do not have anything here that will eliminate your wound, so I must sterilize it. A bite, even from one of us, is likely to become infected, and I would hate to see a permanent blemish on such a lovely ear." He flushed slightly and nodded his permission.

"It may sting a little," she warned. It did sting, and he winced as she applied the antiseptic. As she knelt beside him to put the first aid materials away, he looked down at her partially exposed back and noticed evidence of a scar between her shoulder blades, just to the right of her spine. He turned himself toward her and brushed her hair aside so he could see it better. It was long and discoloured, but its line was clean. He could tell it had been made by a large blade. “It is alright if you wish to ask me about it,” she told him without looking up.

He ran his fingertips down the length of the scar. “I thought you always healed?”

“Usually I do," she replied as she finished what she was doing and stood up. "And I have certainly had far more serious injuries that left no evidence, as you have witnessed. That wound was inflicted by someone who did something very similar to me, as what Salome has done to you, a very long time ago. The knife was laced with a poison that is very toxic to us, and it left permanent damage. That is why I have a scar."

_He was shocked to hear Naseema had ever been somebody’s victim that way. He was aware that her prowess in battle had been slipping in recent years, but Simon said she was once able to face incredible odds without incurring even a scratch. He'd never seen anyone who could fight as she could, and her physical strength alone should have been enough to prevent someone from overpowering her the way Salome had overpowered him, but it made him feel less stupid and helpless to know that even she was capable of losing a fight like that._

“Would you like to return to the other room with me?” she asked. “I am going to get myself a cup of tea.”

His expression brightened a little. “May I have one too?”

“Of course you can,” she smiled and offered him her hand again. He took it readily this time and followed her out of the bathroom. She retrieved two large mugs of her favourite tea from the small replicator while he climbed onto her bed and sat cross-legged in the middle. She handed him one of the mugs, sat next to him and moved her book to the nightstand. He grew sad and reticent again as he looked down at the cup in his hands and watched the steam drift up, and dissipate into the air.

_She watched him quietly, wanting so much to be able to heal all his wounds with words or a hug, but she knew that was wishful thinking. She also knew he would need to talk about it eventually, but she didn't want to push him before he was ready. She wondered if Salome even recognized what had been done as a criminal act. They were all so equally matched between their little communities that her aggressive behaviour had only been an inconvenience up to now and largely ignored. Their male counterparts had always been available for Salome to release pent up energy on, but the prospect of a new experience must have been too much to disregard. They couldn't watch her every second, and Salome had proven she couldn’t be trusted to control herself. Action would need to be taken to prevent anything like this from happening again._

When she realized tears were running down his face, she furrowed her brow, unsure if she should try to comfort him as he might not want to be touched.

_For someone who was typically quite affectionate, having someone use tender expressions of love as a weapon against him must be devastating. His openness and cuddlesome tendencies were some of his best qualities, at least she thought so, and it made her angry and sad to think he might withdraw from those parts of himself because of this. She also understood that Romulan cultural norms were not so different from human ones in that as a man, Elnor was expected to be able to protect himself against such an attack especially, when the attacker was female. She knew he was punishing himself for not being able to fight Salome off, and it broke her heart to see him so disconsolate. He never stood a chance. Salome looked as innocuous as any human woman, but in reality, the young Feeonix was far stronger, far more agile, and could move much quicker than Elnor. It would have been easier to fight off a tiger protecting her cubs._

“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked.

He shook his head and roughly wiped his tears away with his hand.

"Please understand that there is nothing you are feeling right now that is unreasonable or unusual," she said. "It took me years to come to terms with my assault, and I will readily provide you with anything you feel will help you deal with what has happened.”

He took in a shaky breath and exhaled loudly. “Why _me_?” he asked. “Is there something wrong with _me_?”

“Elnor, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, and you did not do anything to deserve or encourage her attack," she said. “Only Salome knows why she was compelled to do what she did, and I am unsure if she even understands the seriousness of her actions, but she will be held accountable, regardless. You are welcome to stay in my quarters for as long as you like, and you will be safe here.”

_He wanted to tell Naseema everything that happened, but he wasn't sure how. He wasn't used to keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself, but he'd also never felt like this before. The first time Salome exerted her power over him, he'd been afraid, but fear was an emotion he was used to. He knew how to deal with it, and he'd been taught that being afraid was nothing to be ashamed of. He didn't know how to deal with the feelings he had now. He wasn't even sure how to describe them. He felt like a disgrace. How could Picard ever accept him as his qalankhkai now? How could he ever expect to protect anyone else again when he couldn't even protect himself against a single individual. He felt worthless and pathetic, defiled and humiliated. He was dreading the arrival of morning when he’d have to leave this room and face his friends. He was sure they would all be able to tell he was a coward, too weak to stop Salome from holding him down. He couldn’t make the feelings go away. He couldn’t stop himself from replaying everything over and over in his mind, looking for the mistake he made, for the reason she picked him. How would he tell Naseema about what...about who he'd been dreaming of before he woke up and found himself in a real-life nightmare. He’d never be able to look her in the face again._

“Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to fight back at all," he said, and the dejection in his voice was heartbreaking. "If I just let her get her way, it would be over, and she would leave me alone."

“I know that is perhaps an easy thing to believe in hindsight, but you did not want her attention, and she tried to take something from you that you did not want to give her,” Naseema told him. “I did what you wish you had done. I did not fight back, and afterward, I wished I had. I wished I made him kill me before he got what he wanted. I completely understand that right now, you are blaming yourself, and you believe that doing the opposite of what you did do would have been the better choice, but the truth is, either choice leads to an unsatisfactory outcome. Not only would you not feel any differently now if you had just given in to her, but you would also be dead if you had. Assaults like the ones we have experienced are a matter of survival and any choice you make that ensures your survival is the right choice. You did what you had to do, and you survived so you made the right decision.”

“I feel so stupid,” he said as he wiped more tears away. “I begged her to stop, but she didn’t care, and every time I tried to get away, she laughed at me.” He inhaled another ragged breath. “Then, when she realized I’ve never had sex before, it got even worse. She acted like I wasn’t even a person like I was nothing more than a-a-," he struggled to get the word out, but he didn’t need to. Naseema knew what he meant, and she touched his knee to console him.

“I know what you are getting at,” she said. “You do not have to say it.”

He let out a burdened sigh and gratefully moved on, although what he said next wasn't any less awful. “She told me she always wanted to _f-fuck a virgin,_ ” he divulged, a hardened look of disgust on his face as he repeated Salome’s words with identical savagery. “It never mattered to me before, but now I feel ashamed of it. Maybe if I wasn’t one anymore, she wouldn’t be so interested in me.”

Naseema was appalled. “I am so sorry she said such a vulgar thing to you. Your sexual experience had very little to do with it,” she told him. “What Salome did to you is far more about power and control than it is about sexual gratification. If she only wanted sex, she would have chosen someone willing or easier to entice.” She reached over and placed her hand on his. “There is absolutely no shame in being a virgin,” she said quietly. “While there is certainly nothing wrong with casual sex, being physically intimate with another should be something you want to experience with that person, whomever you chose. I would hate for you to believe that you should discard your virtue because Salome has made you feel vulnerable because of it or convinced you that it is not worth protecting. I believe that it is worthwhile to wait until you are truly ready, and until you find someone you want to give all of yourself to, not just your body. It is a choice that is ultimately up to you, but I think you are worth waiting for, and I will certainly not be the only one who thinks that.”

“I guess you don’t want my virginity then?” he asked with a weak smile and a small laugh, his eyelashes still wet with tears.

_He wanted her to say yes, but at the same time, he knew he wouldn't be able to go through with it, at least not tonight. Still, he liked hearing her say she thought he was worth waiting for and he was willing to admit to himself that his thoughts of her had started to drift in that direction recently, but he wasn't sure he was ready to reveal that to her yet._

Naseema tilted her head and softened her expression. “While that would certainly rile Salome, I do not think it will make you feel better, nor do I believe that is something you actually want.”

"Maybe not tomorrow, but right now, I just want to feel anything other than what I do," he sighed.

“I know you do and as willing as I am to do just about anything for you, _that_ would likely leave you feeling even worse in the morning and would also probably prove to be fatal,” she said and reached out to tuck an errant lock of hair behind his ear. He looked over at her after she moved her hand away, his eyes still full of sorrow, but she could tell he appreciated her attempts to console him.

“Why can’t she be more like you?” he wondered out loud as he returned his eyes to his tea.

“I am not so different," she told him. "I am a fair bit older than Salome and have learned to control myself, although I still have difficulty with my temper. While I perhaps do not have as aggressive a libido as she does, I have exerted that same power over others in the past. It is not something I am proud of. With time, Salome will also come to the understanding that just because you possess powers like ours, does not mean you should wield them."

“Did you ever _kill_ anyone?" he asked, and by the way he emphasized _kill_ , she knew exactly what he meant.

“I have taken a great many lives over the course of my existence but never in that way,” she replied. “I was only ever intimate with one...by choice.” Elnor nodded but didn’t say anything.

_He wished his dream had been real. He was tormented by Salome's assertion he was aroused by her while he slept because she was right, he was aroused. The sensations he felt were pleasurable. They just weren't Salome's hands on him in his dream. He wasn’t sure which was worse, waking up to see who was really in his bed, or the idea that Salome somehow knew and would reveal his dream to everyone...to Naseema. His faith in the Qowat Milat way was failing him now. He was torn between staying true to Absolute Candor and preserving what little dignity he had left. He didn’t want to be truthful about this, but he was afraid that Salome would force him to, and if Naseema found out, she wouldn’t feel the same about him anymore. He decided he didn’t want to wait for Salome to give him away in the morning and humiliate him all over again. That would be letting her have even more control over him. If he was to be exposed, it would be of his own volition._

"When she first climbed into the bed next to me," he started to confess. "I was still asleep. She started to touch me, and I..." he trailed off and needed to regather his confidence.

“You do not have to tell me," Naseema said and put her hand on his knee. "You have been through enough tonight. Please do not feel as though you must divulge details to stay here."

“No, I want to tell you,” he insisted. “It’s just...embarrassing.”

“I am not going to judge you,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “Anything you choose to disclose will stay between us and only us.”

He nodded and took a deep breath before he tried to tell her again. "While she was touching me I was dreaming, and when I woke up she told me I was enjoying myself, that I was... _aroused_...and she was right. I did like what I was feeling, but in my mind, it wasn't her, it was somebody else. It was-"

Naseema stopped him. “It does not matter who was in your dream,” she said. “I know you are accustomed to being truthful about most things, but when something pertains to your intimate self, such as sexual fantasies or dreams, you are entitled to keep those things for only yourself. It is nobody’s business, and even though you were initially aroused that does not justify anything she did to you before or after you awakened."

“I’m afraid she’s going to tell everyone,” he admitted as his voice started to break again.

“Did you tell her who you were dreaming about?” she asked.

“No, but I’m sure she knows.”

"If you did not tell her, then she knows nothing. She can imagine you were dreaming about whoever she wants to imagine it was, but only you will know the truth, and even if she does know, this planet is home to fifteen Feeonix. It is full of highly charged sexual energy. Every single being here right now, including me, has sensual dreams about others. It is a fact of life here and is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. If she actually has the audacity to attempt to embarrass you with a dream, she will only end up embarrassing herself."

“Really?” he asked, still uncertain.

“Yes.”

_The firmness of her reply was reassuring. He knew he made the right decision to come here. He wasn't sure if it was an effect of the bond, but something told him Naseema would understand, and he was right. He felt safe as soon as she opened the door. She was accepting him just as he was like she had ever since he first met her, and she didn't think he was weak or pathetic. She was sensitive and honest like he was, and he didn't make her uncomfortable when he expressed himself. He needed that right now. Salome may not have succeeded in taking his virginity from him, but she stole his self-confidence and most of his dignity. He wanted those things back, and he was certain Naseema would help him do exactly that._

His tea was finally cool enough to drink, and he took a big gulp. It was the same tea as the night before, and it tasted good, slightly sweet and mildly floral. “I like this,” he said. “What is it?”

“Vulcan white tea,” she replied and took a drink from her cup. "It will help you sleep, and I will remain over there to make sure you are undisturbed." She motioned to the table and chairs several feet from the bed.

He looked at her and asked, “Can you stay right here?”

“Right next to you?” she asked, a little surprised.

“Yes,” he nodded as his face started to flush. “I want you to stay close, so I can feel your energy and touch you.”

“Alright,” she replied. “If it will help you to feel better, I will stay right here.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he said and had to blink back new tears. “Thank you for being so kind to me.”

After spending the last hour fighting back her own feelings of grief and rage, his earnest expression of gratitude finally pushed her over the edge, and her eyes also filled up with tears. "You are so welcome, honey,” she replied as she choked on the words.

He put his nearly empty cup down on the mattress and threw himself around her. She dropped her tea and caught him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and let him bury his face in the curve of her shoulder. His tears came easy, and she rested her head against his and rubbed his back.

“I love you, Naseema,” he murmured.

“I love you too, Elnor,” she whispered back. He straightened himself up and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. She held his face and used her thumbs to clean up the last of his tears before she pulled him in to place a kiss on his forehead. “You poor, sweet thing, you must be so exhausted,” she said as she leaned back to look at him.

Still sniffling, he nodded. “I’m sorry I spilled all the tea.”

"Not to worry, the moss has already absorbed it all,” she replied, referring to the weird, soft moss all the mattresses were made of. He ran his hand over it and picked up the toppled cup. He handed it to Naseema, who had already collected her own. She slid off the bed and dumped them back in the replicator. Then she lowered the lights until only the warm glow of the bedside lamp remained. She sat back on the bed, propped herself up on the pillows, and he crawled up beside her to lay on his side facing her. She stretched her legs out and crossed one over the other. “Are you comfortable?” she asked him.

“Yes,” he replied. “And thank you for these clothes. They’re more comfortable to sleep in than my other ones.”

“I am glad to hear that,” she smiled. “I hope the light won’t keep you awake. I can switch to a padd if it will.”

“No, leave it on,” he said. “I don’t want to be in the dark anymore tonight.”

"Okay," she agreed. "Let me know if you change your mind, though." She picked her book up and opened it. She flipped through a chunk of pages looking for the one she’d left on. He lay beside her and studied her face as her fingers turned the pages. He was tired, but his thoughts weren't quite ready to settle down, and they kept him from drifting back to sleep.

_He was embarrassed to acknowledge that leaving his convent on Vashti was harder than he thought it would be. He was excited by the adventure of joining Picard on La Sirena, but he was discovering that it was also quite lonely. He already knew he was different from other Romulans, a boy living entirely with women, practising a distinctly feminine faith. He’d grown accustomed to his derogatory nickname and learned not to let it bother him. Out here, though, away from the company of the sisters, he'd become acutely aware of how different he was. His companions were friendly, but they weren't used to the_ _Way of Absolute Candor and seemed to find it irritating. He didn’t understand a lot of their language and social nuances, and that made it difficult for him to fit in. Left alone with only his thoughts at night, he felt isolated. Naseema made that feeling subside. She understood what it was to be an outsider. She made him feel like it was okay to be different, and she seemed to want to help him adjust to his new life. She understood where he was coming from better than the others, and now they had their shared experiences to bring them closer. She made him feel accepted and confident in himself. That made him want to be around her, and he knew it wasn’t because of her bond or her energy field, it was because of who she was._

He noticed the delicate, silver bracelet around her wrist and gently fondled it. “This is pretty,” he said. “Was it a gift?”

“It was,” she replied and allowed him to take her hand and pull it closer to him.

“Who gave it to you?” he asked.

“It was from Data,” she said.

“You miss him still, don't you?" His eyes were clear and curious. He seemed more like himself again.

“I miss him every minute of every day, and I always will," she replied with a sad smile.

“I can feel how empty your heart is without him,” he said. “I wish I could fill it with joy for you, and then maybe you wouldn't feel so lonely anymore.”

_Touched by Elnor's warmth and sensitivity, she knew he was going to make her cry again if he kept this up, but she also wanted him to know how much she appreciated his company and his sweet personality._

“You do fill my heart with joy,” she told him. “I am never lonely when I am with you. What I shared with Data is something that comes around once in a lifetime. It is only a memory for me now, but someday you will find someone who will fill your heart with that kind of love, and it will be nothing less than pure magic.”

“It fills me with joy to know that I fill you with joy,” he said and looked at her with the warm brown eyes that were so welcoming and familiar. He shimmied himself down the bed so he could rest his head against her hip. He tugged the sheets up to his waist, and she watched him wriggle around for a second as he tugged his hair out from underneath his body.

“May I help?” she asked. He nodded and held himself up to allow her to gather all his hair in her hands. She held it for him so he could settle back down without it falling beneath him again, and then she smoothed it back behind him. She untied the ribbon that held it up and away from his face and gently combed her fingers through it. He closed his eyes and sighed in response to the comforting sensation.

_He liked it when she touched his hair._

She continuing to caress him until she knew he was asleep, and then she watched him breathe for a while longer.

_It had been a long time since she watched anyone sleep like this. His features were relaxed and tranquil, and his shoulder gently rose and fell with each slow breath. He looked so innocent she could almost forget how lethal he wa_ s. She wanted to protect and nurture him so he would have the chance to become the great man she knew he could be. Watching him roused her anger again too. She was outraged by Salome’s behaviour, and she was going to make sure her counterpart never went near Elnor again.

She brushed a few stray hairs away from his face and tucked them behind his ear. He stirred slightly and nuzzled himself a little closer to her. Once she was sure he was still fast asleep, she reached out to her oldest friend and closest ally.

“ _Jagger?”_

“ _What’s up, doll?”_

“ _What are you doing right now?”_

“ _Watching some old movie. Wanna join me?”_

“ _I need you to come to my room as soon as you can. It is important.”_

“ _Alright, is it serious? Are you okay?”_

“ _Yes, I am fine. Please stop at Elnor’s room on your way and collect his things. I would like you to bring them here.”_

“ _Oh-kay...”_

“ _I will explain when you get here, and please try to be quiet when you come in. This will be a silent conversation."_

“ _Roger, I’ll be there in ten.”_

When Jagger arrived, he slipped quietly in the door and paused for a second to let his eyes adjust to the very low light in the room. He placed Elnor's clothes and sword on a chair and tiptoed towards the bed.

"What's with the clandestine midnight meeting?" he whispered. Naseema held her finger up to her lips to shush him. "You look like a hot librarian when you do that," he teased. "Seriously, what's going on-oh!" He stopped whispering, and his eyes widened when he saw what was in the bed, cuddled up against her. He gave her a horrified look. “Seriously, Naseema!? You bedded the teenage monk? What the fuck is wrong with-”

“Of course not, you idiot,” she hissed and then she shouted in his mind, _“NOW STOP TALKING OUT LOUD!”_

“ _Sorry. You realize how bad this looks, right?”_

She folded her arms across her chest. _“We need to discuss Salome.”_

He glanced over her at the sleeping Elnor. _“Why, what happened?”_

“ _She attacked him.”_

“ _What do you mean she attacked him?”_

“ _She was waiting in his room for him. She stayed quiet until he was asleep, and then she got into bed next to him. You can use your imagination to fill in the rest."_

Jagger stared at her for a minute to process what she’d just told him. _“Is he okay? I mean, did she hurt him? I mean, hurt him physically?”_

_"She bit him, but otherwise I believe he is alright. He managed to get away from her, and he came straight here. She scared him half to death, Jagger, and I do not believe she would have stopped short of killing him. This is very serious, and it cannot be ignored."_

“ _No, you’re right, this is serious. I honestly never thought she would take it this far.”_

“ _Neither did I.”_

“ _Do you want me to call a meeting of the seniors?”_

“ _I promised him I would not leave this spot, so it will have to wait until morning."_

“ _Really? You’re just going to sit there all night?”_

“ _Yes, Jagger. You cannot imagine how horrendous this was for him. I, on the other hand, do not have to imagine anything, so yes, I am just going to sit here all night.”_

“ _I’m sorry. That’s pretty fair. What do you think we should do about Salome?”_

_"I have a plan, but I will likely need backing up."_

“ _You’re not planning to kill her, are you?”_

“ _I will not pretend I didn't consider it, but no. I am, however, going to make sure that she understands the gravity of what she did."_

“ _Naseema, I don't like these 'I have a plan' plans. I agree that Salome needs to understand how serious her behaviour has become, but I'm worried you're going to go overboard because of who she attacked."_

“ _I promise I am not going to lose control, but we all made a promise to protect this planet and its inhabitants. You must appreciate how much of a liability she has become for us."_

_"Yeah, I know. Alright, I'll back you up, but if I start to even suspect that you're taking it too far, I'm pulling the plug."_

“ _That is fair.”_

“ _Okay.”_ He paused for another minute to look over her at Elnor again as a mournful frown formed on his face. _"Poor kid, he looks so small and helpless right now. Why'd she have to go after him? He hadn't even had his first kiss yet, and now, well, he's probably never going to want to have sex again."_

“ _I do not think it went quite that far, but I_ _a_ _m sure you are right that he will likely lose any interest he may have had for at least a little while."_ She looked down at him and very gently stroked his hair. It caused him to stir a little as he let out a tiny sigh. _"He has an open heart and a very forgiving nature. I believe with the right attention he will recover most of what she took from him. Perhaps, he will want to talk to another man about what happened?"_ She turned her eyes back to Jagger.

“ _I’m always around here somewhere. Let him know that for me, will you?”_

“ _Of course.”_

Taking one last glance at the bed, he turned to leave.

“ _Jagger?”_

“ _Yeah?”_

“ _Thank you.”_

He looked over his shoulder to meet her grateful expression and nodded once. Then he slipped out the door and disappeared into the dark hallway. Naseema sighed sadly, not looking forward to the future confrontation with Salome and returned to her book.


	10. Aftermath

The first light of predawn had only just started to filter into the room when Elnor awakened. His eyes blinked open, and when he realized Naseema was still next to him, he looked up at her. She was still unaware he was awake. She had her knees drawn up and was scrolling through a padd in her lap with one hand while her other arm was draped around his head, her hand resting on his back. A happy smile spread across his face, and he snaked his arm around her waist to hug her. She smiled back without moving her eyes from the padd and tickled the peak of his ear.

“You stayed!" he said with pleased surprise.

“Of course I did," she replied. "Did you sleep well?

“Yes, I think so,” he nodded and pushed himself into a sitting position. “What time is it?”

“Very nearly six,” she told him. “Are you hungry?”

“A little, yes, but I left my clothes in the other room,” he replied.

“I had Jagger collect them for you. They are over there on the chair.”

He looked over to where she indicated and saw his things. “Jagger was here last night?” he asked with a hint of worry. “Does he know I was here too?”

“He does, yes,” she admitted. “It was not a recreational visit. I asked him to come because we needed to discuss what happened.”

“So, he knows everything?” he asked and tugged the sheets tighter against himself.

“He knows only what he needs to know," she gently explained. "That Salome attacked you in your bed last night. No details were discussed, nor will they be unless you decide to divulge them yourself." She placed the padd on the nightstand and sat up. "I know this is very demoralizing for you, and I am so sorry for that, Elnor, but you must understand that what she did to you is a serious crime. On Earth and most other civilized worlds as well, it would be called _attempted rape_ , and it is not something we can ignore. Her actions have proven that she has become a risk to everyone who lives here and everyone who might visit in the future. There must be consequences.”

He looked down at his lap and shifted his legs. “Will I have to do anything?”

“No, not unless you want to tell her how she made you feel. There will only be the senior members of our community involved, and nobody else needs to know," she said.

He brought his eyes up to meet her gaze, and the strength and sympathy he found there helped his courage resurface. “I understand.”

She reached over and pulled him into a comforting hug. “I know this is so hard for you, but I am here for you, and Jagger is here for you, and everyone is on your side. The bad feelings you have right now are temporary. You are so strong and so brave. Please do not let Salome take your confidence from you." He took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

_He could do this. He needed to do this._

He collected his clothes from the chair and went into the bathroom to get dressed. He rinsed his face with cold water, fixed his hair, and when he emerged, Naseema had already changed her clothes and was ready to leave. They made their way down to the cantina and found it mostly deserted except for Simon, Jagger, and Rios who was seated with his book at the table across from Jagger, coffee cups in front of each of them. Naseema poured herself a cup as well, and Elnor used the replicator to fix himself a bowl of oatmeal before sitting next to Rios. The handsome Spaniard nodded a good morning greeting to the young Romulan as the three Feeonix exchanged glances.

“ _Is Mr. Rios aware of what has transpired?”_ Naseema silently asked the other two men.

“ _Nope,”_ they both replied.

“ _Where are Javier, Aronnox, and Juliet?”_

“ _In the other room,"_ Simon told her. _“We should do this before anyone else wakes up and wanders in.”_

“ _Agreed.”_

Naseema walked by Elnor on her way out of the room and leaned in towards his ear. "I will be in the other room if you need me," she told him before she followed Simon and Jagger out the door.

Rios looked over at him and raised a curious eyebrow but didn’t ask about the exchange. “They all seem to be in a pretty serious mood this morning,” he commented. “I wonder if something’s up.” Elnor shrugged and continued to eat his cereal. Rios leaned back against his chair and looked at his young friend. “You two spend a lot of time together. Is there anything going on there?” he casually asked.

“No,” Elnor replied as he shook his head and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“I didn't mean to pry," Rios said. "She just seems to be really into you, and I was a little curious."

“I'm not interested in her that way," Elnor insisted, but he didn't sound nearly as confident as he hoped he did.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Salome said to the young Romulan. Her abrupt appearance made him jump and slosh some of his breakfast on the table. She leaned close to him and put on a display of smelling his hair that made his skin crawl. He jerked away from her and eyed her anxiously as she moved around the table to sit across from him. She reached her hand out and tried to take his, but he wrapped it around his bowl and pulled both toward himself, away from her grasp. She thunked back in her seat and folded her arms across her chest while Rios silently looked on with an expression of both curiosity and concern. Elnor kept his eyes down and refused to look at her even as she adjusted her position to lean on the table. She stretched her arms out and folded her hands together.

“You ran away so suddenly last night," she said with a reptilian smirk. "Who did you run to? I thought we were having fun, and then you just up and left, leaving me all hot and bothered." She glanced at Rios to make sure he was still paying attention, and he was now looking back and forth between the two suspiciously.

_Maybe he was right after all, and something was going on. He just had the wrong Feeonix in mind._

“I wasn’t having fun,” Elnor muttered.

“That's because you don't know how," Salome said. "You should have let me teach you, but I guess you'd rather learn from somebody else." Elnor did his best to ignore her and continued eating but found the warm, sticky porridge was no longer doing anything for him. The knot in his stomach was taking over.

“So, are you ready to tell me who you were dreaming about last night?" she purred, and her embarrassing question finally got Elnor's attention. He looked up at her, his face full of hurt and humiliation, but he remained silent, unable to think of anything to say that would make her leave.

By this point, Rios’ internal alarms were going off. “What the hell is going on here?” he finally asked and waved his finger at the tension-filled air between his companions.

“Why don't you tell him, baby boy?" Salome suggested her vicious undertone not lost on Rios. "Tell him all about your dirty dream. Tell him how turned on you were and then tell him how you were too afraid to lose your virginity, so you ran away."

Elnor lowered his eyes to the table and felt his face grow warm and flushed. Rios looked at him and back at Salome as he became more horrified by the second. He protectively edged his chair towards the young Romulan and glanced over his shoulder as he wondered when the other Feeonix were coming back. After another several seconds of silence, Salome leaned back in her chair and sniffed.

“Where did you go, baby boy?" she smirked. "Did you go hide behind Naseema's skirts all night long? Did she coddle you like a little kitten? You don't smell like sex, so I know you didn't fuck her. Too bad, she could use it even more than you." Then she leaned forward again and shot her arm out to grab Elnor's wrist. "It's not too late, you know, I'm still willing to make you a man."

“Hey," Rios interjected and put his hand on Salome's arm. "I think that's enough. You're scaring him, and quite frankly, you're scaring me too."

“Let go of me,” Elnor said and glared at her, his voice now hard and determined.

Salome smiled wickedly and held her grip. “Where was this macho attitude hiding last night?” she jeered. “I like it a lot better than the tears and begging.” She rolled her eyes up and batted her eyelashes as she mocked him. “ _Please, don’t_ ,” she laughed as she imitated his plea from the night before.

Still holding her arm, Rios stood up. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded. “Leave him alone!”

“This doesn't concern you, Mr. Rios," she calmly replied. "This is between me and little boy blue here."

“I said, LET GO!” Elnor finally shouted at her as he stood up and yanked his hand out of her grasp.

Salome's eyes widened with shocked delight. "That's more like it," she said, and with the ferocity of a plasma explosion, she launched across the table at Elnor and tackled him backward over his chair to the ground. Rios jumped back as everything on the table clattered to the floor. Salome pinned Elnor's arms down with her knees and grabbed a handful of his hair to hold him still. She held onto his jaw with her other hand and dug her nails into his skin. "You had your chance to cooperate," she hissed in his face. "I could have been sweet and gentle, just like _she_ was in your dream, but it's definitely going to hurt now."

Rios tried to shove her away, but she released Elnor's hair, grabbed Rios' sweater and tossed him aside. As she returned her attention to the struggling young Romulan underneath her, Rios picked up a chair and swung it as hard as he could at her. It splintered apart, and he stared in shock at how little effect it had. Salome's head whipped around to face him, and her eyes filled up with orange light as the air around her started to make a crackling sound.

“SALOME!" Jagger thundered as he swung his arm around her waist and hauled her off of Elnor. The commotion got the attention of the other Feeonix, and the six of them poured into the canteen. Juliet hurried over to where Elnor was still lying on the floor and pulled him to his feet. Salome was completely ablaze now and fought to get out of Jagger's arms.

Simon rushed over with a fire extinguisher. "I’m putting her out!" he shouted. Jagger shut his eyes and turned his face away as Simon unloaded the canister on Salome. Drenched and no longer on fire, she sputtered and stopped struggling. Jagger put her down but kept a grip on her arm and pulled her along with him as he marched back out the door. Simon tossed the fire extinguisher on the floor and followed them.

“Oh my god! Are you alright?” Juliet asked as she looked at both Elnor and Rios.

“I’m okay,” Rios replied, still discombobulated by everything he just witnessed. “Are you okay?” he asked and placed his hand on Elnor’s shoulder.

Humiliated and sore, Elnor quickly wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand and forced back the flood of emotions that threatened to pour out of him. “I’m fine,” he insisted.

“Hey,” Rios said gently. “Are you sure, kid? I don’t think I’d be fine if I’d been the one on the receiving end of all that. That was a lot of venom. What happened last night?”

“Salome crossed an unspeakable line,” Naseema interjected and looked at Elnor as she added, “It will be over very shortly. If you would like to go back to your room, Juliet will take you.”

He shook his head. “I want to stay here,” he said, quiet but determined. Naseema gave him an unsure look, but Rios stepped in.

“I’ll stay with him,” he told her. She nodded and motioned for Juliet to join her. The latter put her hand reassuringly on Elnor’s back and gave him a sympathetic nod before she followed Naseema out the door.

Once they were alone, Rios turned him and said, “You give the word, kid, and we’re out of here, and I mean we get our people, and get off this batshit loco planet, out of here.”

Elnor put on a worried frown and looked over at the exit. “What about Naseema?” he asked.

Rios put his hands on his hips and sighed sadly. "Look, kid, these Feeonix have been very hospitable, but they're dangerous, and they're all nuts. They live all the way out here in the middle of nowhere for a reason. They’re not our people anymore, I’m sorry.”

“She was a Federation Ambassador, and she's friends with Picard," Elnor argued. "She's not dangerous."

“Do you have any idea who she really is?” Rios asked.

_He was trying to be kind, but the kid was really naive, and this growing attachment to Naseema was making him uneasy._

"She wasn't a diplomat, she was a weapon, and her job was to make sure the bad guys stayed in line, the Romulans, the Cardassians, the Dominion, you name it. Picard knows that's the truth, ask him."

“That can’t be true,” Elnor said. “I don’t want to believe that.”

“I'm sorry, kid, but it's the truth, ask Picard."

***

In the other room, Jagger was pacing in front of Salome as he ranted and waved his hands. “Do you have any idea how fucking despicable what you did was?! Jesus Christ, Salome! He’s just a kid! What the fuck is the matter with you?! Did you really think there was nothing wrong with what you were doing?! And what the fuck was that in the other room just now?! You could have killed both of them!”

The other five Feeonix hung back and allowed him to unload while Salome stood with her arms crossed and glared at him like a petulant teenager.

“He was into it,” she muttered. Jagger was so appalled at her reaction that he was suddenly speechless and stood there staring at her with his mouth open.

“No, Salome, he was not _into it_ ,” Naseema corrected.

“He was when he thought it was you,” Salome shot back with a satisfied smirk. “He was having the dirtiest dream. You should have seen the look on his face, and hoo boy was he raring to go.”

“That’s enough, Salome,” Aronnox said. “You’re not helping yourself by revealing details like that. It makes us concerned about what kind of person you are becoming. You could have killed him.”

“Even if he was aroused by a dream, that’s beside the point,” Juliet added. “It doesn’t matter who he may have believed it was at first. Once he became aware, he made it clear he didn’t want to have sex with _you_ , and yet _you_ tried to force it on him anyway. In most places, that's a very serious crime."

“Agreed," Simon chimed in. "Salome, you seem proud of yourself. Can you not see the damage you've done here? Nobody is impressed."

“None of you were there," Salome argued. "And Naseema wasn't there either, so why are you all just taking her word as fact?"

“Naseema has proven time and again that her word is good, and what possible reason could she have for fabricating anything about this?" Aronnox asked.

“She's pissed off at me because I hassled him a little, and she's blowing it way out of proportion because she's _bonded_ to him,” Salome replied and eyeballed Naseema with a disgusted look. “Which is revolting, by the way.”

“I don’t think _hassled_ is quite the appropriate term for what you’ve been doing,” Jagger pointed out. “You tried to grope him under the table in the cantina the other day. At the very least, I’d call that _harassment_ , and I've also noticed that nearly everything you've done to him was in front of an audience. What's that about? I'd like to hear an explanation because all I can figure is that you're trying to test us, or you wanted his humiliation at maximum intensity."

“Fine, I _harassed_ him in front of a couple of people, big deal,” Salome scoffed.

Jagged turned to Simon. “I can’t decide if this is about unchecked lust or misguided hatred,” he said.

“Does it matter?” Simon asked him.

“Well, depending on what we intend to do about it, yes.”

“It’s both,” Aronnox replied. “It started with lust, and then it turned to hatred because he rebuffed her. Am I wrong, Salome?”

“Stop trying to psychoanalyze me,” she grumbled. “It’s annoying.”

“If he’s not affected by your energy field, I can see why that would confound you,” Aronnox said. “I’m trying to help you. You’re in very serious trouble here.”

“Oh please, I didn’t even hurt him that bad,” she replied and rolled her eyes.

“Just because his physical injuries are minor does not mean you did not inflict serious harm," Naseema told her. "It will likely take him years to fully recover from what you have done to him if he ever does."

“He’s fine, just because it took you years,” Salome groaned.

“Did she really just say that to you?” Jagger asked as he looked at Naseema with incredulity.

“Wow," Javier finally chimed in from the corner. "She's not getting it guys."

“She's not even a century old, and she's never been in the position to be physically overpowered by somebody else," Juliet said. "Why are we expecting her to understand how that feels?"

“You know what?” Javier replied, “She doesn’t have to get it, she just has to stay away from the kid.”

“That's not enough," Simon argued. "Salome, how many times did he ask you not to touch him, and how many times did Naseema and Jagger warn you to leave him alone? Yet, you persisted, and that shows a pattern of behaviour that I, for one, find troubling. It's gone too far now for the rest of us to accept a hollow promise from you and turn a blind eye. There needs to be consequences this time."

“What are going to do?" Salome sneered at him. "Lock me in my room, banish me from the planet? You can't control me. I haven't done anything. Unlike some people here, I didn't actually break our code, and we're not Federation citizens, we don't follow their laws. Besides, I don't see why you're all so bent out of shape. He's a Romulan, and all of you seem to have forgotten they're the enemy."

The six older Feeonix exchanged glances. “Oh my god,” Juliet gasped. “Have we been that careless and single-minded? Did we cause this?”

They were all silent for a minute as they looked at each other until Naseema finally spoke. “No, that is too easy to blame us.”

“Are you sure about that?” Salome asked as she glared at her. “You're always the first to sign up for every potential slaughter-fest, and you’ve killed more of them than all of us put together. I haven’t killed anyone, so why am I being treated like Sutra? Too bad you can’t just shut me off like you did to her.”

“What Sutra did and what you have done are not comparable, and Alton made that decision, not us. I may have killed more than anyone else here, but I follow the rules of engagement, Salome. I do not target civilians. What seems to have been forgotten here is that the Tal Shiar are our enemy, not the Romulan people, and nobody here taught you to torture our enemies," Naseema replied as she stared Salome down. "Nobody deserves what you did to him."

“Torture? Are you serious?” Salome snapped.

“You do not think what you did was torture?” Naseema asked and looked at Salome with disappointed confusion.

“Yeah, and just what did he tell you I did?" she asked. "If I'm accused of torture, don't I have the right to know what it is I did?" The room got quiet again as Naseema's face turned to stone.

“I will not betray that confidence,” she said.

“Naseema, that’s not entirely fair,” Javier told her. “We have no precedent for what’s happened here. Hell, we don’t even really have any laws to speak of. If we’re going to move forward, I think we need more than your opinion that she’s committed this crime. Nothing will leave the room.”

“I will tell you." Elnor's voice came from the doorway behind Naseema, and she turned to face him.

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“A few minutes," he replied and then he looked at every other Feeonix in the room before returning his eyes to Naseema. "Thank you for trying," he told her with a brave smile. Then he looked at Salome, and the smile dropped off his face. He took a few steps toward her and kept his eyes locked on hers. "You came into my room last night without my knowledge or permission. You secretly watched me undress, and then when I fell asleep, you climbed into my bed, and you touched me. When I woke up and wanted you to leave, you held me down. You bit my ear, and you put your hands all over me. You tried to take my pants off, and you forced me to kiss you. I'd never even kissed anyone before last night, and that only made it more fun for you. You knew I wanted you to stop. I begged you to stop, but you didn't. Instead, you laughed at me and threatened to tie me to the bed if I didn't stop fighting you."

Salome stared at him without so much as a hint of remorse, her arms folded across her chest. By this point, Rios stood in the doorway listening to Elnor confront Salome, and Picard was next to him.

“If I hadn’t fallen off the bed trying to get away from you, what would you have done?” Elnor asked. “Would you have kept going, stripped me of my clothes and my dignity, and raped me before you killed me?”

The entire room remained hushed as Elnor continued to get everything off his chest and lay it where it belonged, directly at Salome's feet. "Naseema told me that what you did to me had nothing to do with sex, and she's right, isn't she? It was about power. You could have just killed me if you wanted to, but that wasn't enough. You needed me to know how powerless I am against you. You wanted to make sure I would feel degraded and humiliated. Well, congratulations, that’s exactly how I feel."

Salome dropped her arms to her sides and approached Elnor, her expression still apathetic. He kept his eyes on hers and stood his ground even as she walked right up to him, and put her face in his. “Good,” she said.

Javier stared at her with a horrified look on his face. “Why?”

She looked over at him. “Because I wanted to,” she replied. Then she turned back to Elnor and glared at him with a frightening hatred in her eyes. “I don’t fucking care who you’re bonded to. You don’t belong here. You're not one of us, and despite what the rest of these idiots think, you will always be the enemy," she told him "The only thing I'm sorry for, is not getting the chance to finish you off." Then she lashed out and slapped him across the face. He blinked a few times and took a sharp breath with the shock and stinging pain of the blow but stood fast without reacting otherwise.

“Hey!” Rios shouted. “Haven’t you done enough to him?” Salome turned her burning contempt towards the _La Sirena_ captain.

“Maybe _you’d_ like to finish what _we_ started,” she hissed and then with another lightning-like move, she grabbed the chair closest to her and launched it through the window. Glass exploded into the hallway and both Rios, and Picard jumped back to avoid being showered by the shrapnel. Everyone in the cantina, Feeonix and human alike flooded into the hallway.

“So much for keeping this quiet,” Jagger said as Simon made a move for Salome.

"Get the fuck away from me!" she screeched, and in the next instant her eyes filled up with orange light, and she erupted into flames again. Rios moved to grab her as she flew through the door at him, but Picard got in front of him.

“Rios! Don't touch her!" he warned, now directly in Salome's path. She slammed him backward into Rios and sent the two crashing to the ground in a tangled heap. Agnes and Raffi rushed over, horrified by what they were witnessing and pulled the men to their feet. Salome reset her sights on Elnor and came towards him at an intimidating pace, but he didn't run. He was done letting himself be controlled by his fear of her and drew his _tan qalanq._ He tightened his grip, ready to defend himself, but just as Salome reached striking distance she suddenly smashed into thin air and then was flung backward by an invisible force. Naseema stepped into the space between them. Her hair fluttered in a non-existent breeze, and the orange rings around her irises were inflamed and pulsating.

“I didn't want it to come to this, Salome, but this is the only way you're going to understand," she said calmly.

“Fuck you and your little Romulan lap dog,” Salome spat at her. The two Feeonix stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity before Salome sprang at Naseema like an enraged wildcat. The older Feeonix blocked the younger one’s attack and threw her backwards again with another invisible shove. Salome let out an infuriated scream, and Naseema went on the offensive. She erupted in flames, seized Salome and used her momentum to propel her younger opponent back into the wall. Salome was bigger, but Naseema was stronger and pinned her with a fistful of her shirt and a forearm against her throat.

“You’re a traitor!” Salome seethed. “Bonding to a fucking Romulan! They’re supposed to be the enemy!”

“The only enemy you have here is yourself," Naseema told her.

“You two deserve each other! You’re both freaks!”

“I am sorry for this," Naseema said. She used both hands to hold Salome still and stared into her eyes with such a powerful vehemence that both Jagger and Simon turned their faces away with pained expressions. The orange rings in Naseema's eyes continued to burn intensely even as Salome started to react. Her facial muscles tightened and contorted as if she were in incredible pain, and she tried not to cry out. She finally let a gasping wail escape her as tears started to stream down her face.

“Naseema!" Picard called out. "Please stop this!" She ignored him as she tightened her grip on Salome, who grasped and clutched at her. Another several tense seconds hung in the air before Naseema started to pant, and her hold on Salome wavered. Then she abruptly released her and stumbled back with a gasping sob as her eyes returned to normal. Salome collapsed to the floor with convulsive, heaving breaths, and tears poured down her face as Juliet and Aronnox hurried over to her.

“Jesus Christ, that was awful," Javier said, and his expression gave away how disturbed he was by the scenario.

Still breathing heavily, Naseema turned to Elnor. “I am so sorry I did not protect you from her," she told him, and his expression crumpled. Then her knees suddenly buckled, and she dropped to all fours with an agonizing groan before vomiting an alarming amount of blood onto the floor.

“Fuck!” Jagger quietly exclaimed while Elnor gasped and ran to her. He dropped to his knees and pulled her into him with one hand gripping her shoulder and his other holding her head against his chest. Aronnox, who was on one side of Salome as he helped Juliet lead her down the hallway, turned his head towards the commotion, and his eyes widened with horror. He stopped moving, and Juliet looked at him in surprise before she glanced over her shoulder and also came to a halt.

“Oh my god!" she said with alarm, but Jagger held up his hand to keep them from coming back.

“It’s alright,” he assured them, already crouched down beside Elnor. “Take Salome to her room, Simon, and I have got this. She’ll be okay.”

Juliet and Aronnox hesitated briefly, but the latter finally nodded. "One thing at a time," he said to Juliet. So, they continued down the hall with Salome as Simon and Jagger assured Elnor that Naseema wasn’t in any danger.

“Jagger,” she said weakly as her head rolled back against Elnor’s arm. “I cannot see anything.”

“It's okay, I got you," he told her. Then he looked at Elnor, who was visibly concerned. "Let's take her to her room. I'm going to need your help." Elnor nodded and eased her into Jagger's arms. When they arrived, the tall Feeonix laid his friend on her bed. She'd already lost consciousness, so he turned his eyes to Elnor, who paced anxiously nearby. "Hey, come over here," he said, and Elnor quickly obeyed. "I'll hold her up, and you see if you can peel her shirt off, okay?"

“What?” the young Romulan replied as he stared at Jagger with disbelief.

“She's going to start to swell soon, and if I don't get these tight clothes off, she's going to be really uncomfortable," Elnor still looked unconvinced, so Jagger continued. "Don't look so worried, believe me, she would rather it be you and me."

Elnor came over and knelt on the bed. Jagger pulled her up into a sitting position and held onto her as the young Romulan found the hem of her shirt. He started to lift it but hesitated. "This doesn't feel right," he said as he made a face.

Jagger rolled his eyes and exhaled a frustrated sigh. “Will you pull yourself together? We’re in a time crunch here. They're just breasts, and I'm pretty sure she's wearing a bra." Elnor made another face but did what Jagger told him and gently tugged the shirt up over her head. He got her arms out of the sleeves, and while he still felt uncomfortable, he was relieved to find she was wearing a bra and an undershirt. "I knew you could do it," Jagger said and then arched an eyebrow mischievously. "Hey, want me to show you how to unhook a bra without looking?"

Elnor looked at him, horrified. “No!”

“I was joking,” Jagger replied and gave him a look.

“Sure you were," Elnor said. "Besides, I already know how to do that, and that kind doesn't have a clasp."

“How do you know that?” Jagger asked and eyed him suspiciously. “Are you sure you’re a monk?”

“I grew up in a house full of women. Do you seriously think I’ve never seen women’s underwear before?” Elnor shot back.

“Fair enough,” Jagger laughed. He rested Naseema back on the pillow and unfastened her trousers. He shimmied them carefully down her hips and off her legs. Then Elnor quickly pulled the sheets up over her. "Thanks," the Feeonix said. "And don't worry, she's not going to be mad at you."

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Yeah, this happens every time she moves something that large with her mind. It messes up her insides."

“Is that what she did?!” Elnor asked, amazed.

“It is,” Jagger replied.

“That’s incredible! Can all of you do that?”

“Just her," Jagger said. "I don't know how I don't know why, but she's the only one with that talent. She doesn't do it much because, as I said, it fucks her up when she does, but she'll be okay. She just needs to sleep it off for a few hours." Elnor moved to sit in one of her chairs, but Jagger caught his arm. "No way, you spend enough time camped out in here." He pulled the young Romulan away from the bed and pushed him out in front. Then he put his hand on Elnor's head and playfully tousled his hair. "Let's go find something else for you to do."


	11. Weapon With A Pulse

Jagger took him to his quarters, and when Elnor walked in, he was awed by what he saw. Every wall in Jagger's room was floor to ceiling shelves packed with books.

“Wow,” Elnor proclaimed. “Have you read all of these?”

“A few times over,” the Feeonix replied. “Do you like to read?”

“Yes,” Elnor replied.

"Well, I was thinking, that would be a good distraction for you," Jagger said. "Why don't you have a look around and see if anything catches your interest.”

“Really?!" the young Romulan asked excitedly. "Thanks!" He wandered around the room as Jagger started to tidy up. He had more stuff than Naseema and was far less orderly, old fashioned picture frames and various knick-knacks were on nearly every surface. Clothes tossed over chairs, the bed, and the sofa. A large rectangular box with dials and a rounded glass bubble protruding from the front caught Elnor's attention.

“What’s that thing?” he asked.

Jagger turned to see what he was looking at, "Oh, that's a television," he replied. "Simon and I built it a few years ago. We use it to watch old movies."

“What’s a movie?” Elnor asked.

Jagger's eyebrow went up, and his eyes lit up. " _What’s a movie_ , he says. Well, now we gotta watch something." He came over to the sofa and gathered up the various sweaters and t-shirts littering it and tossed them in a pile on the bed. "Have a seat," he told the young monk. Elnor sat down, and Jagger went to the replicator. He returned with a huge bowl of popcorn and water. He handed the bowl to Elnor, put the water on the coffee table, and went to find something to show his companion on the television. When he found what he was looking for, he turned around with an excited glint in his eye.

“This is gonna be great. _Seven Samurai,”_ he said and hurried to sit on the sofa. Elnor was completely enthralled by the story, and Jagger was so entertained by his reactions, neither of them heard the door the first few times. Jagger finally called, "Come in," over his shoulder, and Picard came through the door. He walked up to the sofa and saw what they were doing.

“It’s so nice to see you taking your responsibility as a positive role model seriously, Mr. Jagger,” he chuckled, teasing the Feeonix about his tendencies towards degenerate behaviour.

“Oh, come on, let the kid have a little trashy fun,” Jagger laughed. “At least he’s not parked beside Naseema’s bed, wringing his hands together.”

“True," Picard agreed. Then he came around the sofa and Elnor moved over to let him sit down. They watched the rest of the movie together, and when it was over, Picard looked over at Jagger.

“Alright, that was pretty good,” he said.

“That was amazing,” Elnor added, clearly impressed with Jagger’s attempt to distract him.

“Now, does one of you want to tell me what happened out there this morning?” Picard asked.

“What happened this morning is unfortunately what crime and punishment look like when you don't actually have any laws, and everybody works on the honour system," Jagger replied. "It wasn't supposed to be so public. I'm afraid we grossly underestimated how uncontrollable Salome has become."

“What did Naseema do to her?” Picard pressed. “It was terribly violent to witness.”

“She pushed memories into Salome's mind," Jagger told him. "It was worse for Salome, believe me, and I doubt Naseema enjoyed it much either, but I think she was right, it was the only way Salome was ever going to understand how wrong what she did was."

“Is Naseema going to be alright?” Picard asked.

“Yeah, she'll be fine, and Salome will be fine too, and also hopefully develop a new appreciation for how not to treat visitors to this planet, regardless of who they are."

“What memories did she _push_?" Picard was clearly concerned and disturbed by the incident, but Jagger was starting to feel it wasn't his place to be revealing any more information.

Jagger looked at Picard and then at Elnor, hesitating for several seconds. “I don't know for sure, but considering Salome's crime, I'm going to wager they were memories of Lore."

Picard's face dropped, and he nodded sadly. "I was afraid you were going to say that," he replied.

“What’s _lore_?” Elnor asked.

“Not what, who," Jagger corrected. "Lore was a person, and I'm afraid if you want to know more, you're going to have to ask Naseema. It's not my place to talk about that." Elnor looked at him, a little confused, but nodded. Jagger appeared pensive for a minute and then said to the young Romulan, "Why don't you go take a walk with Pops here. I'm sure you've got some stuff to talk about, I'm going to finish tidying up in here, and I'll pick out some books for you."

Elnor looked over at Picard and back at Jagger before nodding again. “Thanks,” he said. “Can we watch another movie later?”

“Sure,” Jagger replied with a grin. “Maybe Naseema will join us.”

"I'd like that," Elnor smiled back. Jagger tousled his hair again before getting up and going over to deal with the mountain of clothes on the bed. Picard was already waiting by the door for him, and the two left Jagger's room to take a walk around the pond.

“If you don’t want to talk about what happened with Salome, it’s alright,” Picard said. “I understand how difficult it can be.”

“I'm alright, but thank you," Elnor replied. "Naseema was very kind to me, and she helped me understand that it wasn't my fault."

“Did you go to her after it happened?” Picard asked.

“Yes," Elnor nodded. "When I got away from Salome, I didn't know where to go, and her light was on. I can't explain it, but something called me there, and she let me in without hesitation. She listened to me and let me sleep in her bed."

“She is a very compassionate person," Picard said. "I'd like to say that you could have come to me, but I doubt I would have been as helpful as she was. I'm glad she was there for you."

“I want to say I felt like I could go to you, but I was afraid you would think I was weak, and you would no longer want me as your _qalankhkai_ ,” he admitted, his eyes on his feet.

"Oh, Elnor," Picard replied, looking at his ward with sympathy and affection. "I don't believe you could ever be weak, even if you tried. Confronting Salome the way you did took a lot of courage, and I am so proud of you. You are much more to me than my _qalankhkai_ , and I will always want you."

Elnor looked at him, his expressive dark eyes starting to glisten, and nodded without saying anything. He didn’t want to dissolve into tears in front of Picard.

The old man smiled gently. "We have all experienced situations where we feel powerless, and I'm no different," he said. "When those situations occur, some of us are fortunate enough to have someone who cares for us in our corner.”

“Really?” Elnor asked.

"Yes," Picard replied, and as they walked, he told Elnor about how he was captured by the Cardassian military during a covert mission and held as a terrorist. He told him how he was brutally tortured and humiliated, and how Starfleet Captain Edward Jellico, manipulated, and eventually strong-armed the Cardassians to force them to free him. “Naseema came for me herself, and I will never forget the way I felt when I saw her walk in the room. I will also tell you something that I've never told anyone else. I asked her to stay with me that first night too, and never once have I felt weak for asking her to do that. We all need comfort and support at times, and there is no shame in that."

Elnor smiled appreciatively but didn't say anything, and Picard added, "I know I'm not a very affectionate person, I never have, and I'm sorry for that. I wish I could be better at that for you."

"I know you care, but it fills me with joy to hear you say that,” Elnor replied. “I know I’m more _touchy-feely_ than you're used to, I can always go to her when I feel like I need to hug someone."

“Well, I’m glad you get what you need from her,” Picard replied with a chuckle. “I guess I’ll have to learn to be more _touchy-feely_ when we leave.”

“Can’t she come with us?” Elnor asked, suddenly worried about the prospect of being separated from her.

“I would love for her to come with us, but that decision isn't up to me," Picard told him. "If you feel it will be too difficult for you to leave, I'm sure you'd be more than welcome to stay here with her."

“Wouldn’t you miss me?” Elnor asked.

“Of course I would, but if that is what you want, I would understand," Picard replied. "She already loves you very much. There's a connection between the two of you now, and I honestly don't know what effect separating will have on either of you."

“I don't want to think about it, but I can't leave you, and I know you can't stay here forever," Elnor admitted.

“Well, perhaps we can convince her to come with us," Picard suggested, and a smile spread across Elnor's face. He couldn't help himself and threw his arms around Picard, earning a warm laugh from the old man, "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm famished," Picard said, once Elnor released him. "Let's go get some lunch."

They hit up the cantina and decided to take their meal back outdoors, sitting in the immaculately manicured garden just outside. “Can I ask you something about Naseema?” Elnor finally inquired.

"I'll do my best, but my answer will depend on the question," Picard replied, taking a bite of his sandwich.

“You told me when you were on the _Enterprise_ together, she was a diplomat, a Federation ambassador representing the Feeonix. Is that true?”

“Yes," Picard nodded. "Naseema was the Federation's Feeonix representative for centuries, almost right from its inception."

“That means she wasn't a weapon?"

Picard realized what information Elnor was seeking and let out a soft sigh. “I think I understand what you’re asking,” he said. “That was a popular rumour. Naseema is a military strategist, probably one of the most brilliant ones I've ever worked with, and part of her job was to collect military intelligence during diplomatic, and first contact missions. The Federation has had powerful enemies throughout its history and years of needless conflict, mostly as a result of mishandled first contacts. At the time, it was deemed prudent to have someone with her capabilities on the bridge of the Federation’s flagship. As a subtle threat of force, if you will, but it wasn’t as though I could just sic her, like a vicious dog, on anyone we had problems with. She negotiated quite a few treaties between the Federation and other political powers in the galaxy, the Romulan Empire included. She was expected to stand behind those treaties and ensure both sides maintained their ends. As a result, she sometimes had to appear menacing. You’ve spent quite a bit of time with her, does she strike you as the type of person who would threaten or harm another without due cause?”

“No, but I might be biased in that opinion,” Elnor replied.

“I might be a little biased as well, but I don’t think so either,” Picard said with a chuckle. “Quite frankly, Mr. Jagger’s position was far more dubious in nature than Naseema’s.”

“Why?”

“He also spent decades using diplomatic credentials except he was the furthest thing from an arbiter as one can get.”

“What did he do?” Elnor pressed, his interest piqued.

“Mr. Jagger was in the espionage business,” Picard replied.

“He was a spy?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Wow,” Elnor quietly exclaimed. “That’s amazing!”

“If you say so,” Picard laughed. “I’m sure if you asked him, he’d be more than happy to regale you with highly exaggerated tales of his exploits.”

“I'm definitely going to do that," Elnor said, and Picard chuckled again.

_He was glad to see_ _how greatly Elnor endeared himself to the Feeonix. They were powerful allies to have, and he also wanted to have Naseema in his life again. He missed her company, and she was the best research assistant he ever had. He was already wondering what it would take to convince her to come with them. She could broaden Elnor's horizons in ways he would never be able to, and it was obvious his young Romulan ward was in love with her, but even though he was grateful she came into Elnor’s life, she was not the person he knew anymore. He deeply regretted the violence Elnor experienced, but he was concerned about the intensity of Naseema’s reaction. Elnor seemed to have a soothing effect on her, but he could see she was broken down by the events of the last twenty years, and when a being with that much power becomes fragile, the results can be catastrophic._

When they finished with their lunch, Picard took Elnor down to Coppelius Station so the young Romulan could see Spot II again while he took a meeting with Alton and Soji. She ended up joining Elnor in playing with the cat instead and then took him on a tour of the rest of the community. They seemed to enjoy each other's company, and Picard was pleased by that, especially since Alton revealed Soji wanted to go with _La Sirena_ when it left orbit in a few days. It would be nice for each of them to have someone close to their own age aboard the ship. He just hoped Mr. Rios wouldn't balk at the ever-expanding passenger list, especially since he hoped Naseema would agree to come as well, but he supposed that was a bridge he would cross when he came to it.

By the time they returned to Coppelius Control, it was nearly dark. Naseema still hadn't emerged from her room, but Jagger made good on his promise and delivered a towering stack of books for Elnor to entertain himself with for the evening. He had been hoping to spend the twilight hours with Jagger, but the Feeonix regrettably had what he described as a _crap ton_ of work to finish and promised him the following evening as consolation. Elnor retired to his room instead, changed into his pajamas, after carefully checking every corner and potential hiding place, and poured over the novels he was given. They included _The Count of Monte Cristo, Conan of Cimmeria, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Robinson Crusoe, The Mists of Avalon, Casino Royale, The Lord of the Rings,_ and _The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood_ , among others. He ended up falling asleep surrounded by the bounty of books on his bed, one still clutched in his hand. His dreams were not kind to him that night, though, and he woke up suddenly just after midnight, shaking and sweaty after a vivid nightmare about Salome. Simon and Aronnox assured him at dinner that she was secured in her room with a force field, but every shadow that moved in his room caught his attention and made him increasingly uneasy. The building storm outside wasn't helping either as the wind whipped debris against the windows, and the rain made every flash of lightning a soggy blur of distorted silhouettes.

_He wasn't normally afraid of the dark or heavy storms, but after his all too real nightmare, the combination had him ready to climb the walls. Juliet warned him he might experience difficulty sleeping for a while, but at the time, he was confident he'd be fine, and in retrospect, shouldn't have dismissed her concerns quite so easily._

He turned the bedside lamp on and lay back down, picking up the book he’d been reading when he fell asleep. He tried thumbing through it for a while longer and kept telling himself he was fine and that there was nothing to be afraid of, but an exceptionally blinding flash of lightning made the tree outside his room stretch long, looming black talons across the ceiling. Then he startled at the accompanying crash of thunder. That was enough. He no longer cared if he looked foolish. He grabbed his pillow and his book and crept down the hallway to the one place he knew he would be welcome.

"Come in," Naseema called out from her bathroom. Elnor entered the room and headed straight for the pool of light that spread out from beyond the door to the bathroom. He opened the door a little further, and when he saw her reclining in the tub, he laughed. “Why did you tell me to come in if you were in the bath?”

“The tub is full of bubbles,” she shrugged. “You cannot see anything.”

“Should I make myself at home?” he asked.

“Not in here,” she replied with a smile. “Go make yourself at home in the other room, and I will get out.” Still smiling, he nodded before retreating from the doorway and closing the door behind him. She drained the tub and quickly dried herself off before putting her dress back on, and joining Elnor in the other room. She turned the fireplace on, retrieved two cups of tea from the replicator and sat next to him on the bed. “Is everything alright?” she asked and handed him his drink.

"Yes," he nodded. "I had a nightmare, and I couldn't get back to sleep."

She smiled and put her hand on his knee. “You can come here any time you like.”

“I do know that, but I also don’t want to make a pest of myself and have you not want to spend time with me anymore,” he said.

“Not to worry, I always enjoy your company,” she assured him. “Tell me about your day.” So he did, telling her all about watching _Seven Samurai_ with Jagger, spending the afternoon with Picard, visiting Spot II with Soji, and all the books he wanted to read. He thanked her for standing up to Salome on his behalf and for letting him sleep in her bed last night...and tonight.

“I know it can be difficult to be alone after such an awful experience, especially at night, so please do not hesitate to sleep here as many nights as you want to. I had Data to be there for me, and you have me to be here for you," she told him, and he thanked her again, knowing he wanted to sleep in her bed every night.

_He was quickly becoming accustomed to the warm, calm feeling her energy field gave him, and he liked being able to wrap his arms around her whenever he wanted. He slept more soundly with her there, and even when he only got a few hours, he still felt rested._

Once his tea was gone, he placed the cup on the headboard and rested back against the pillows. He pulled his book out and tried to find the last page he could remember reading before he fell asleep. Naseema looked over from her book.

“What are you reading?” she asked, and he showed her the dog-eared copy of _Conan of Cimmeria_ Jagger had given him.

“Ah, a classic," she laughed, and he smiled in response to the gentle teasing. "Would you like me to read to you while you fall asleep?" she asked.

“I would like that very much,” he replied and handed her the beat-up paperback. He rested his head on her shoulder as she read the story and made the occasional funny comment about why Jagger liked the book so much. After a while, he finally ventured forth with the question he wanted to ask her all day. "Who's Lore?"

She looked up from the book but kept her eyes straight ahead and let out a slow sigh, she rested it in her lap and turned to him. "He was Data’s brother,” she told him. “Another android created by the same man but before Data. He was the man who raped me and gave me the scar.”

Elnor's eyes widened, and he suddenly felt ashamed for asking. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm in-butting, and I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It is alright," she said with another sigh. "It was a very long time ago, and I can talk about it, but there is not much to tell." Elnor shifted his position to prop himself up on his elbow and looked at her attentively as she continued. "Several of us were being held captive by him, including Data, and he had a very deep hatred for me, much the same way Salome had for you. He also wanted to degrade and humiliate me, and he threatened to harm the others if I did not cooperate, so I did. I will not pollute your mind with details, but it was awful and violent, and it took me a long time to recover, but I did recover eventually, just as you will.”

“How did you all escape?” he asked, his eyes full of affinity and heartbreak for her.

“Hugh saved us,” she said. “Lore found himself a group of struggling ex-borg, and he manipulated them into helping him, but Hugh convinced them to revolt, and the rest of the _Enterprise_ crew were able to rescue us.”

“Poor Hugh,” Elnor said mournfully. “He didn’t deserve to die.”

“No, he did not,” Naseema agreed.

“Is that when Lore gave you the scar?”

“No, that was several years later,” she said. “He savagely beat me and tried to rape me again, in front of Data, to torture us both, but he was stopped by another man who was almost as brave as you. He lost his life in the process. Then, I foolishly tried to confront Lore alone, and that is when he gave me the scar, and very nearly took my life as well."

“What happened to him?” Elnor asked.

“Jagger and Data tracked him down in hopes he had the antidote to the toxin he poisoned me with, but when he didn't have what they wanted, Jagger killed him."

“Good,” Elnor declared. “I hate him for what he did to you.”

"I think Lore is the only person I have ever met who had absolutely no redeeming qualities, and I hate him too," she said and looked at Elnor with appreciation. He gave her another sympathetic smile as she straightened herself up and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Are you in pain,” Elnor asked, his smile turning to concern.

"I still have a bit of a headache leftover from this morning, but I will be alright, thank you," she replied.

“Come over here,” he instructed as he sat up. "I want to help." She looked at him curiously, and then he put his hands on her hips and turned her, so her back was to him. He got on his knees, gathered her hair up, and moved it over her shoulder before he began pressing his fingers into her flesh.

"Oh, Elnor, that is very sweet, but you do not have to-" she protested before he found the right spot, and she abruptly let out a loud groan.

“Just let me help you,” he said with a satisfied smile and continued to work the muscles in her

neck and shoulders.

_He was told he was good at this, and he was happy to help her. He also kind of liked the sound of her satisfied moaning._

“That was perfect," she sighed once his hands started to cramp up, and he couldn't continue anymore.

“You're welcome," he replied. "It's the least I can do." He put his arms around her and gave her a warm squeeze before he reclined back against the pillows. She picked up his book again and settled back next to him, continuing where they'd left off. He rested his head on her shoulder once more, and before long, he drifted off to sleep.

He slept late, at least what would be considered late for him. It was after nine by the time he awoke, and he quickly realized he was alone in the bed. A sudden feeling of uneasiness overtook him, and he shot upright, anxiously looking for Naseema. She was outside, so he swiftly got out of the bed and joined her. When she looked up at him from her position on the ground, she was a little alarmed. He looked terrible with large, dark circles under his eyes, his complexion sallow, and stress lines worn into his face. Coupled with how late he'd slept, she had cause to be concerned.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked, worriedly looking him up and down. “You do not look well.”

“I still feel tired,” he admitted.

She tilted her head and frowned. “You poor thing, you have expended so much of yourself, and now you are exhausted." She motioned for him to sit by her. He did, and she moved herself to sit on a stool behind him. She loosened his hair and began gently massaging his temples. "You need a hot shower and something to eat," she suggested as she moved her hands down to his neck. "Your muscles are terribly tight." She worked her fingers into his flesh, and he felt her already warm hands grow warmer as she let her energy flow slowly into him. He was already feeling better when she finished, but she persisted with doting on him anyway and insisted he use her bathroom to shower. He relented, and while he let the hot water continue what she started, she darted in to get his pajamas for the cleaning processor. Then she hurried out to collect all his things from his room and brought them back to hers before he even finished cleaning himself up. She left his freshly laundered clothes folded up on the stool by the sink, and by the time he emerged, clean and refreshed she already had breakfast prepared for him. They went back outside, and for the first time, she ate with him. They did some stretching exercises together and talked for a while before returning to the bedroom, where she sat on the bed reading while he took a desperately needed nap.

It was early afternoon when he next awoke, and he had to admit even though he believed it was silly sleeping in the middle of the day, he felt like himself again afterward. She was determined to make sure he had a quiet, uneventful day to recharge and took him to Jagger's room so they could use the television. Jagger wasn't there, insisting he still had a ton of work to do, but he made sure the sofa was cleared off for them. She fed him again, and they spent the rest of the afternoon, right into the early evening watching a spectacularly over-the-top series of programs called _Die Hard 1,2, and 3_. As the final movie ended, she turned to him with an affectionate, hopeful look. “I would very much like it if you spent the night with me again.”

He smiled at her. “I’ve been hoping you would ask me that all day.”

Managing to avoid everyone else the entire day, they retired to her room and cuddled up next to each other in her bed with their books, but instead of reading, they ended up sharing stories. When he finally settled himself down to sleep, he was almost in a state of total bliss.

_He could get used to days like this. Of course, he loved the days spent exhausting himself with her in the gym, but he enjoyed just quietly being with her, talking and sharing, and doing nothing, in particular, all day. She was easy to be around, and when he thought back on how afraid of her he was at first, he felt silly for it. He knew he was falling in love with her. He realized as much the night Salome attacked him. If one good thing had come from that experience, that was it. The dream Salome tried so hard to destroy him with was a manifestation of the unfamiliar feelings he'd been trying to work out. What he felt during that dream was far more than just sexual arousal. He also felt serenity, comforting familiarity, trust, and shared joy. It was more than just an infatuation it was the real thing, he was sure of that, and he was starting to worry about how he would cope if his hopes that she would come with him weren't realized._

The next few days passed quietly and without incident until the eve of their final day arrived. That day was filled with less routine activities but seemed easy and relaxed as well. Naseema spent more time with Elnor in the gym and organized a training regimen for him to take with him. Agnes assisted Alton with the replacement golem. Soji finalized her departure plans with Picard. Seven prepared to transfer responsibility for the ex-borg survivors on the planet to Aronnox. Raffi played cards with Simon and Javier, and the three of them attempted to teach Juliet how to play poker. Jagger spent the day assembling the personalized packages he’d been making for the departing guests, and Rios busied himself aboard _La Sirena_. By the time the supper hour rolled around, the remaining Feeonix on the planet constructed a large bonfire in the field behind Control. As dusk crept in, the inhabitants of both communities and their guests gathered around the roaring fire to celebrate together with music and dancing. Picard and Alton sat together on the sidelines and warmly watched the others enjoy themselves. Eventually, Alton left to retire for the night, and once he was gone, Rios wandered over and sat next to Picard. The older man gave the younger one a nod and continued watching the festivities with a relaxed smile on his face.

“We’re planning to break orbit tomorrow morning,” Rios said. “Any particular departure time you’d like me to notify the others of?”

“No, thank you,” Picard replied. “I’m not in any hurry,” He kept his focus on the small crowd still dancing in front of the fire. Rios followed Picard's far away gaze and realized he was watching Elnor, who was laughing and dancing with his new best friend. Rios had been quietly observing them for the last few days and not so far from being a young man himself he recognized the indicators. The longing looks, the body language, the furtive glances. He felt the same way about Agnes.

“He’s falling in love with her,” Rios said.

“I know,” Picard replied, somewhat wistfully. “I can see the signs.”

“And it doesn’t concern you at all?” Rios asked, his concern evident in his voice.

“There's not much I can do about it, so I might as well enjoy watching the first tender shoots of young love grow and hopefully blossom."

“Young love?” Rios asked with an amused smirk. “You do remember how old she is?”

“I was referring to Elnor but to assuage your fears, Mr. Rios, yes I remember how old she is," Picard replied and turned his attention to the _La Sirena_ captain.

“So, you're not at all worried that this is going to end badly for him?" Rios continued. "He wants to bring her with us, but she's pretty dedicated to the people here, and I don't think she's prepared to leave this planet. He's gonna be heartbroken."

“Just out of curiosity, what’s your stake in this?” Picard asked, a little intrigued by Rios’ sudden concern for Elnor’s well being.

“Well," Rios shrugged. "I like the kid, and I remember being that age, and how it feels to have your heart broken."

“Do you remember how you felt before your heart was broken?” Picard asked with a knowing look.

Rios let out a low chuckle and nodded. “Yes, I do.”

"And would you be willing to trade that feeling to forget said broken heart?" Picard inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Rios considered the question for a minute before replying. “No, I guess I wouldn’t.”

“I don't think Elnor would either," Picard said. "And I hate to say this, but I think it's too late to prevent it in either case. It was out of anybody's hands the second she bonded herself to him."

“Yeah, about that. I’ve been meaning to ask you about what Salome said before...well, you know,” Rios said. “Before _the incident_.”

“About the bond, you mean?”

“Yeah, that. The others, the Feeonix, I mean. They all said it means he’s part of their family now. What did she do to him?”

“She infused him with her energy, at least that's my rudimentary understanding of it," Picard explained. "It's something that's usually reserved for only Feeonix to do with each other, but Naseema has spent so much of her life with humankind, she's almost not even a Feeonix anymore, at least not in her heart. When I served with her, she was their representative and was widely considered the galaxy's foremost non-human expert on humanity, but she's never really been able to find her place in either culture. She presents a brave front, but she is, and always has been, very lonely."

"So, she's not supposed to do this bonding thing on other species?" Rios asked.

"No, not traditionally," Picard replied. "But once in a while, someone comes along who gets under her defences and awakens something deep inside her. When it happened with Data, it was a pretty big deal to the other Feeonix, but considering how few of them are left, I think their old ways just don't matter to them anymore. They've experienced so much devastation, especially Naseema I really believe they just want to see her come out from that heavy cloud of grief she's been living under."

“I can understand that she needs this, but what about the kid? From the sounds of it, he didn't even get a say in what she did, and he's been so enamoured with her, he didn't even realize someone else was stalking him," Rios insisted. "Where was she when he was...well, I don't even want to think about it."

“None of us realized how far Salome would escalate her infatuation, not even those who know her best," Picard told him. "I don't think we can blame the assault on him being distracted by Naseema. It's entirely possible it would have happened anyway, and while she may not have been there to prevent or stop it, I know she's doing her best to help him deal with it now."

“Who helps him once we leave tomorrow?”

“I don’t think we need to worry too much about that,” Picard replied with a perceptive grin.

“You think she’s going to come with us,” Rios said and arched an eyebrow.

“She'll be compelled to," Picard went on. "Once the bond is made the two souls involved will always be driven to seek each other out when they're apart. She's completely devoted herself now, and I strongly suspect the others will encourage her to go."

“So, it’s not her energy field or the bonding that’s causing it? His feelings, I mean,” Rios asked.

“No,” Picard replied. “The bonding is far stronger on her end. It does have some effect for him but not on the scale you’re thinking. As for the energy fields, you may have noticed the longer you spend around them, the less intense the effect becomes, and while they do cause a certain level of attraction for other species, they can't make you fall in love. Elnor is doing that all on his own."

“He’s been spending every night in her room since his run-in with Salome," Rios told him.

“Yes, I know,” Picard admitted. “He seems to be coping well, but I suspect he’s traumatized and needs that feeling of security. I certainly don’t want to be the one to deny him that. Besides, the Feeonix don’t sleep every night the way we do, so I doubt he's disturbing her. She probably gets more from his company than he does from hers.”

"Unless there's not any sleeping going on at all,” Rios suggested and gave Picard an amused look. “If that’s the case, I bet he’s getting quite a lot out of it.”

Picard smiled and chuckled. "I catch your drift, but I highly doubt that what you’re suggesting is occurring. Part of the reason Naseema’s relationship with Data was such a big deal to the Feeonix at first, is because they're not allowed to mate outside their own species. At one time, it was one of their strictest laws.”

“Well, that’s intense,” Rios replied as he leaned back in his chair. “Are you going to elaborate on that or just let my imagination fill in the blanks?”

Picard chuckled again. "I will elaborate for you, but I'd appreciate it if you kept what I'm about to tell you to yourself. I'd prefer to avoid an accusation of rumour-mongering."

“I can do that,” Rios said, leaning toward Picard with interest.

“The Feeonix are a species of highly concentrated energy, and when they're in humanoid form, they are capable of releasing rather destructive bursts of that energy. The unfortunate thing is, they're not always able to control when those bursts occur, and the more emotionally charged they are, the likelier it is for an unintentional discharge to occur." Picard craned his neck forward a little and raised his eyebrows to make sure Rios was following him, and he was.

“I think I know what you're getting at," he said. "I've heard those rumours about them bursting into flames when they...you know," He arched an eyebrow.

“The rumours are true," Picard confirmed. "Which is also part of the reason why they dealt so harshly with Salome, and as you can see, Elnor is very much alive, so I highly doubt anything untoward is going on in that room."

“So, Data wasn't affected then I take it."

“He was apparently the sole exception.”

“I gotta ask,” Rios smirked. “How do you know that?”

“Well,” Picard said with an awkward shrug. “Just between us, they were rather loud. I received so many complaints about the noise I eventually had to move their quarters to a less populated deck.”

Rios let out a boisterous laugh. “Now, I almost think it’s a shame he’s just sleeping. It sounds like he’d have the time of his life.”

“Indeed,” Picard replied with a gentler laugh of his own. Then, still looking at Rios, he tilted his head to the side. “I have to ask, why is it you seem to be so invested in Elnor’s relationship with Naseema? I’m not sure I’m convinced it’s solely his well being you’re concerned about.”

“You're not wrong," Rios replied with a sigh. "These Feeonix, they're dangerous and unpredictable, and they have powerful enemies all over the galaxy that are going to find out very soon they're not extinct. I'm not sure how comfortable I am bringing one along for the ride."

“You’re afraid if we bring Naseema with us, she’ll paint a target on our backs.”

“Yeah, a little,” Rios admitted.

“I’m not going to force you to accept another passenger, but I would like you to know that while she may be a powerful being, she is not ordinarily a violent one. In the fifteen years she served on the _Enterprise,_ she helped avoid violent confrontations far more frequently than she was involved in them,” Picard said.

“So, she wasn't just a weapon with a pulse?" Rios asked. "Because that's the most common version of her job description, at least that I've heard anyway."

“No,” Picard insisted and shook his head. “I will admit, confrontational species were certainly more willing to sit down for discussion when she was standing beside me, but she was so much more than just _a weapon with a pulse_. She was a diplomat and a general, a negotiator, and a counsellor, and an excellent judge of character. She was all of those things, but the last thing she was, was a threat to those she cared about." Then, he paused for an instant. "Is that what you told Elnor she was because he asked almost the same question a few days ago?"

Rios diverted his eyes away from Picard’s before sheepishly admitting the truth. “I may have given him that impression, yes.”

“Mr. Rios,” Picard said with a mildly admonishing look, and then Raffi strolled over.

“So, did you tell him about the kid?” she asked with a slight slur in her speech.

“Yeah, I told him about the kid, Raff,” Rios replied as he shot another embarrassed look toward Picard.

“Can none of you think of anything more interesting to talk about?” Picard asked, giving Raffi the same scolding treatment as Rios.

“A centuries-old member of a nearly extinct alien race with bizarre supernatural powers, a martyr complex, and android children, who's sleeping with the teenage refugee warrior-monk she's known for all of five minutes. I challenge you to find something more interesting than that," Raffi replied.

“Well, when you put it that way,” Picard replied sarcastically.

“They're not sleeping together," Rios told Raffi. "Apparently, she'd kill him if they tried."

“No kidding," Raffi said. "It's been twenty years, JL maybe, she's found a way around that."

“I doubt that,” Picard replied. “But by all means, tell yourselves whatever you like.”

Raffi shot him a look and leaned towards Rios, nearly losing her balance in the process. “Two bars of latinum says she deflowers him before we get back to Earth.”

Rios grinned at her with amusement. “I’ll take that bet.”

“You two are behaving like a couple of puerile clowns,” Picard told them as he rolled his eyes. “And I am going to take this as my cue to go to bed. Goodnight.” With that, he stood up and began to make his way inside as Raffi echoed his goodnight back to him. He threw one last glance at Elnor, who was still smiling and laughing, happier than he’d ever seen him, even as a child.

_He hoped he was making the right decision by asking Naseema to come with them. He was worried about her and strongly suspected she was still hurting deeply even though she finally seemed to be coming to terms with Data's death. He wanted to take her back to La Barre, where life was calm and peaceful. She could focus on things that made her happy and leave the violence and fear behind her rather than continue this existence as a covert operative. It would make Elnor happy too, and as he thought about that, he made a silent wish Raffi was right, and twenty years had made a difference._


	12. Let Me Pretend

They were curled up next to each other in her bed reading when he laid his book down in his lap. He'd been throwing glances at her for nearly an hour, but she was fairly involved in her paperwork and so far hadn't noticed his subtle attempts to get her attention.

_He enjoyed dancing with her, maybe more than he should have. Getting to touch her while her body was up against his, seeing her hips sway and feeling her move like that gave him a warm, tingling feeling inside. Now that they were alone, he found himself overwhelmed by his attraction to her. He wanted to touch her some more and bury his face in her hair. His eyes kept turning in her direction. He took in the soft features of her face, the lines of her neck and collarbone. The curves of her body underneath her dress, but he always came back to her lips. He wanted to find out if they felt as soft as they looked, and he wanted to hear them whisper his name followed by the words, 'I love you.' He wanted to kiss her and couldn't keep himself from wondering how to approach. Should he ask for a kiss, or should he just lean over and surprise her with one? He was leaving in the morning and knew he might never get another chance to express his feelings._

He finally moved his hand over and gently touched her thigh. She turned to look at him. “Are you ready for sleep?” she asked. “Would you like me to turn the light off?”

“No,” he replied as he reconsidered his approach and diverted his eyes away from hers.

“What is wrong?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Nothing," he said and picked his book up again. She gave him a sideways look but didn't press him and returned to her paperwork. After another few minutes, he managed to work up the courage to lower the book once more and turned to her. "Naseema?"

“Yes,” she replied, keeping her eyes on her padd for a few seconds before she turned to him. As soon as her eyes met his, he leaned in and kissed her, shy but purposefully. When he pulled back, she was looking at him with shock, and the expression on her face convinced him he made a mistake. He expected an admonishment and to be promptly tossed into the hallway.

“I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "I shouldn't have-" Then, her expression suddenly changed, and before he could finish, she grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him toward her. He was so surprised when her lips met his he froze with his eyes wide open, and his hands suspended almost mid-air. When she broke away, their eyes met again, and for an instant, time stopped. They stared at each other, surprised, delighted, and overcome by their feelings until the smouldering cinders between them finally combusted. Elnor moved first, his arms went around her and he buried his mouth on hers. She took his face in her hands again and then slid them to the back of his neck to hold him closer, and before she knew it, his were in her hair. He grazed his tongue across her lips, and she welcomed his overture by parting them so he could slip his tongue in her mouth. Without breaking their kiss, he rolled himself forward to push her onto her back, and she tugged him down as her leg curled around his hip. She found the hem of his shirt and slid her hands underneath to glide them across the bare skin of his back. He caressed one of his down the side of her body to her thigh and then back up under her dress. She arched herself up into him, and he let out a muffled moan as he pulled her up with him, so she was straddling his lap, their bodies pressed together, faces still locked in sensual unity.

_He let all his expectations and preconceptions fall away and allowed her energy to flow freely through him. He'd never felt so good, and even though he knew it had to, he didn't want this feeling to end. He wanted all of her. He wanted to go on this journey with her right to the end. He didn't care what the risks were or what he'd have to give up, and he didn't care how old she was or what anyone else would think. He experienced so much since leaving his convent, and she had been there each time he needed her even when he didn't know he needed her. She told him he should hold on until he found someone worthy of giving all of himself to, he found her, and she already had most of him. He wanted to give her the rest. He couldn't leave in the morning, never knowing if he'd see her again. He was going to convince her to come with him whatever it took._

She found his ears, and as she traced their outline, he shivered and groaned softly. “Please don’t stop." His fingers pressed into her flesh as he tugged her hips closer and pushed his tongue into her mouth again. Goosebumps spread across his skin like ripples on a pond in response to the delicate graze of her touch, and his excited gasp forced him to withdraw from her lips briefly. “I don’t want you to ever stop,” he whispered.

_She could feel how aroused he was, both physically and through her alien connection to him. She hadn't intended to let their kiss become so passionate, but she felt his love for her and became overwhelmed by those feelings so fast, the situation got away from her. She was drawn to him initially because he reminded her so much of those she loved long ago, but as she came to know him better, she could see how special he was in his own way. She hadn't met anyone like him in a long time. He was so open, honest, and innocently self-assured. He accepted her without fear or judgment, and she wished she was capable of giving him everything he wanted. He deserved that, and it made her sad to know his true feelings for her and everything he would have to give up because of them. It would kill her to do it, and she knew it would break his heart, but for his own good, she had to let him go._

Finally, she pulled away from him, and the shining euphoric look in his eyes filled her with both joy and regret. Breathing deeply, he smiled and touched his forehead to hers. "That was amazing."

“I must admit, I have wanted to kiss you for a while, Elnor, but we should not do that again,” she replied. “I would never forgive myself if I lost control and hurt you.”

“I've wanted to kiss you for a long time too, and I know I shouldn't have but...” he trailed off and sighed. “Can I hold you, just for a little while?”

She nodded, and they lay back down to face each other. He pulled her close and rested his head on hers. They stayed that way for a while, long enough for their breathing to synchronize, quietly basking in each other’s warmth and company until Elnor finally spoke.

"Naseema, I'm sorry," he said. "I know I wasn't supposed to, but I couldn't help myself."

“What are you sorry you could not help?” she asked.

“I’m falling in love with you,” he told her. “I think about you all the time. I want to hold you every night and wake up with you beside me every morning. I want everything, the good and the bad.”

“I know the feeling,” she replied with a rueful sigh.

“If you love me too, why can we not be together?” he asked. “Please, come with me. Picard wants you to come too, he told me.”

"I wish it were that simple," she said. "I am still needed here, and even if that were not the case, you deserve to live a full life, Elnor, to fall in love with someone who can give you the things I will never be able to."

“Like what?”

"Like physical intimacy and the chance to grow old with the one you love," she told him. "I am capable of many things but not of those, and you would be sacrificing more than you realize. I would not wish for you to regret your choice one day."

“But it is _my_ choice, and I have been paying attention," he said. "I am not unaware of those things. I know how strongly you feel about your responsibilities to the people on this planet, and I know you have dangerous enemies. I also know you will never age, and I will, and I know I will never be able to make love with you. I don't care. I want to share my life with you."

She sighed sadly again. “Elnor, you are so young, too young to-”

“I might be young,” he said, interrupting her. “And there is a lot I have yet to experience, but I don't want to live a sheltered life anymore, and I don’t want you to protect me from who you really are. I know you don't want to be alone anymore, and I know you want to love me, I can feel it. I can feel everything you feel right now. I just don’t understand why you try so hard to fight against it.”

“Elnor, I-”

“Don’t say anything,” he told her. “Please, just let me hold you while I still can.”

She honoured his request and stayed there quietly in his arms until he was asleep. Fortunately, he was a deep sleeper, and once she was sure he wouldn't awaken, she carefully extricated herself from his embrace. After placing a delicate kiss on his cheek, she slipped out the door and headed to Jagger’s room.

***

“Come in,” Jagger called in a sing-song voice. When she entered, she found him sitting on the sofa, watching an old black and white movie.

“You cleaned your room,” she observed with mild surprise.

“Yeah, you know, I don’t want the admiral thinking I’m a bad influence,” he replied with a smirk.

“After all this time, why do you not just admit you care what he thinks?” she asked with a laugh and a shake of her head.

“Because then he wins, and I can't be having that," Jagger said. Then he looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "So, where's the kid?"

“Sleeping,” she sighed.

“Well, you obviously came here for a reason, so come have a seat,” he told her as he cleared a space for her next to him on the sofa.

“Mind if I get a drink first?” she asked.

“Only if you get me one too," he replied. She went to the replicator and brought each of them a tumbler of ice, and a tall flask to share. She set them down on the coffee table, and he poured out their drinks as she sat down.

“I have made a terrible mistake,” she sighed before taking a gulp from her glass.

“You let him kiss you, didn’t you?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes.”

"And it was awful because he's never done it before and the only one who's ever shown him how, is Salome, so you came here to get kissed properly because you know I'm amazing," he said with a teasing grin.

“No.”

“You came here because he finally confessed to being in love with you, and when he kissed you, it forced you to admit you love him too, and now you're torn about what to do," he said, more honestly this time.

“Bingo.”

“Well, it’s obvious you need to leave with him tomorrow,” Jagger told her.

“I cannot do that," she argued. "We are not out of danger here, and I cannot abandon all of you to satisfy my own selfish desires."

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because that is a dick move," she said and looked at him with incredulity.

“You're so full of shit," he told her. "Don't use us as an excuse to bail on him because you're afraid to live again." She stared at him with her mouth open, shocked by his blunt assertion. "Look, Naseema, I know it's not what you wanted me to say, but that's how I feel about it. Nobody knows better than I do how awful the last twenty years have been for you. I've been here the whole time, watching you descend into a black hole of depression and alcoholism. You haven't been living you've been waiting to die, nay, _hoping_ to die.”

“Jagger, I am sorry," she said, lowering her eyes. "You are right, and I know it has not been easy for you or any of the others to live with me, but it is not that simple."

“Sure it is,” he countered. “Everybody has noticed the difference since he showed up. You don’t spend all your time shut up in your room drinking and crying, and I’ve actually seen you laugh for the first time in years. Elnor has breathed new life into you, and if you turn your back on that now, you're going to fall right back into that hole he's pulled you out of, I don't think I can watch that happen again."

“He is so young, Jagger," she said. "I fear he does not fully realize what he is giving up by pursuing this, and I do not think I can allow him to make that sacrifice."

“He might be young, but he's a lot more astute than you're giving him credit for," he replied. "I've been keeping my eye on him since he got here, and I see the way he looks at you. I've watched you two sparring, and he's not just duelling with you, he's making love to you the only way he knows how. He's all in, Naseema, and you're bonded to him, it'll crush him if you say no."

“I will never be able to give him a fully realized relationship,” she argued. “That is not fair to him.”

“You need to stop trying to live in the past while constantly worrying about the future. Seriously, just embrace the present and stop wallowing in your martyrdom, it's obnoxious," Jagger said as he downed the last of his drink and poured himself another one. "He knows what the score is, and you need to let him make his own decisions. If you didn't love him, this conversation would be going in a completely different direction, but I can see that you do, and if you let him go because you're too afraid to move on or for whatever other stupid reason you're telling yourself, then you're a fool. Picard would agree with me, and so would Data."

“Oh, I did not even consider Jean-Luc’s reaction,” she said and dropped her head into her hands.

“The old man isn’t blind, Naseema. He can see all the same indicators I can, and I happen to know for a fact that he wants you to go with them almost as badly as Elnor does,” he told her as he rested his hand on her back. “You’re running out of excuses. We’ll be fine, go.”

She lifted her head and looked at him. "Have you spoken to everybody about this?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“We had a whole meeting just about this with doughnuts and everything," he replied with a satisfied smirk, but then his expression became serious. "We just want to see you happy again, and Elnor can do that, I know he can, he just needs you to give him a chance."

She exhaled another heavy sigh. “Perhaps you are right,” she said. “I have been fighting these feelings because I am afraid. Afraid that I am betraying Data’s memory, and afraid that if I let Elnor in I will only lose him too quickly, or he will realize that he needs more than I can give him.”

“Look, despite the hard time I always gave him, I really respected Data. I'll even admit I loved him and I used to actually listen to most of the shit he said, so I can pretty confidently state that if he could, he would tell you that it's time to let him go," Jagger told her as his voice started to break. "What the two of you had was one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen, and I know he can't be replaced, but that doesn't mean you can't make room in your heart to love someone else too, and that kid-that young man is ready to give you everything he's got."

Naseema looked at Jagger with appreciation, and as both of their eyes filled up with tears, he reached over and pulled her in to hug her tightly.

“I understand why you’re worried,” he said. “If I'd lost my mate, I'd probably be scared to try again too, but the kid's smarter than he looks, and he's the bravest eighteen-year-old I think I’ve ever met. He can take care of himself, and I'm hoping he's gonna take care of you too because you need it. As for the other thing, well, that never bothered Nasir and Elnor knew right from the word go what the deal was, and he still wants in. So, now that I've shot holes in all your arguments, what are you going to do?"

She started to cry again. "I do not know, but I promise I will take what you have said to heart, and I will not make this decision with a closed mind."

A wide grin spread across Jagger’s face. “I know what that means, and man, am I going to miss you.” He grabbed her into another hug. "Let's have one more for the road." He refreshed their drinks, and they clinked their glasses together. "Here's to you," Jagger toasted. "And your desperately needed fresh start, and here's to me, the greatest friend in the whole universe."

“Your modesty is inspiring,” Naseema teased. “But thank you, Jag, I do not know what I would do without you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he replied.

***

When Elnor woke up the bedside lamp was still on, Naseema's padd and his books were still in the bed, but he was alone. He pushed himself up and looked around the room. The bathroom light was on, so he rolled off the bed, and went towards the door.

“Naseema?" he called out quietly as he pushed the door open a little. When he got no answer, he opened the door all the way, but the bathroom was empty. He went back towards the bed and remembered the small courtyard. Springing over the bed, he eased open that door as well, but she wasn't outside either. Looking back into the room, he realized she was gone.

_He was crushed. He couldn't believe she just left in the middle of the night without telling him. Why would she do that? He shouldn't have kissed her or told her that he loved her it was too much for her to handle but what a cruel way to tell him she wasn't going with him. He didn't know what to do. Should he stay here, sit on her bed and cry? That's certainly what he felt like doing. It would be better to go back to his own room, and then he could do her the favour of not forcing his attention on her if she didn't want it. He remembered the last time he felt like this. At least Picard said goodbye before abandoning him._

He was about to leave when she came in the door. "Elnor!" she exclaimed. "I did not think you would awaken while I was out, and I hope you weren’t upset or alarmed.” He stared at her for several seconds before he ran over, threw his arms around her and lifted her off her feet.

“I thought you left because of what I said,” he told her.

“No, of course not,” she said as she warmly accepted his embrace. “I am sorry I made you think that. I needed to talk to Jagger, and you are such a deep sleeper, I thought I would be able to slip in and out without waking you.”

“I’m just happy you’re back.” He took her hand and moved over to the bed. “Will you come back to bed and stay with me?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said with a smile. She reclaimed her spot, and he crawled up beside her and wrapped himself around her. He nuzzled his face in her neck, and she stroked his cheek. "I do love you, Elnor,” she told him.

“I know,” he said. “And it fills me with joy to hear you say it.”

“It fills me with joy to say it to you.”

"Does that mean I can do this?" he asked and kissed her neck. "And this?" He placed another kiss next to the first one. "And this?" He did it one more time, and she laughed softly at his flirtation. He sat up and leaned towards her face. “And this?” He moved in and nudged her nose with his before he pressed his lips to hers. She traced her fingertips along the points of his ears, which he seemed to really like and made a low rumble in his throat in response. Her action completely dissolved his lingering insecurities, and he parted his lips to push his tongue into her mouth. She accepted him with enthusiasm and wound her fingers into his hair. He pulled her over on top of him and wrapped his arms around her while she placed her knees on either side of his hips and rested her weight down. They continued to kiss and caress each other for what felt like it could have been all night, yet when she finally pulled away, it somehow seemed fleeting. “I could kiss you forever,” he said with a happy sigh.

She smiled at him tenderly. “I do want to be with you, but I am afraid of making promises to you that I cannot keep.”

“You don’t need to make any promises to me,” he replied. “A promise is a prison, and I don't want to be your jailer."

“You have been very honest with me, and I at least owe you the same," she said and took a deep breath. “I am afraid of the physical boundary that exists for me and that it means denying you the earthly pleasures that make being in love so fulfilling. I am also afraid to let you in any further because if I were to lose you, I do not think my heart could take it. I want to go with you, Elnor, but my fear keeps me trapped.”

“I know you are afraid, but I wish you wouldn't be," he said as he moved his face close to hers. "I've known all along that sexual pleasure is something you will never be able to give me, and I cannot miss something I have never had. I may not be able to help how my body reacts to your touch, but that doesn't mean I feel _denied_ , being able to kiss you and hold you close is enough for me. I want to be with you because of how you make me feel when we’re together, not because I want to _get in your pants_.” He raised an eyebrow as he repeated the idiom he’d heard from both her and Jagger.

She smiled gently. “I know you are not just trying to _get in my pants_ , but someday kisses may not be enough for you, and I do not want you to make any sacrifices for me.”

“I was raised to believe that most things worth having do not come without compromise, so I don’t see that as a sacrifice I must make,” he said. “It is merely an obstacle for us to overcome together. I meant what I said, I do not need you to make any promises, the only thing I ask is that you not give up on what we could have without a fight.”

She blinked a few times, trying to stop her tears, but they spilled down her face anyway. "I do not know what I did to deserve you.”

"I don't know either, but you're stuck with me now," he laughed as he wiped her tears away.

She smiled again as he touched his face to hers. “I will forever be grateful to you for what you have brought into my life, Elnor.”

“Please come with me,” he whispered. “I have never wanted anything more, not even my _tan qalanq_.”

She pulled away to look in his eyes. “I wish I could say yes, but I do not know if I am strong enough.”

He brought his hands up to hold her face. “Then don’t say anything and let me pretend this isn’t my last night with you.”

She nodded sadly. “Pass me your book, and I will read for you. You need to get some sleep." She rolled off him, and he dug around in the sheets until he found it. He handed it to her, and she nestled back against the pillows as he laid his head on her shoulder and moved his body close, so it was touching hers. " _Casino Royale_?” she asked as she looked at the cover and rolled her eyes. “Did Jagger give this to you?”

“Mmhmm,” he replied and reached over to show her the right page.

“Just so you are aware, humans do not behave this way,” she said.

"Jagger said it was practically his biography," Elnor told her, and she laughed out loud.

“Of course he would say that,” she said, shaking her head at her friend’s ludicrous ego. “He does love his sexist trash.”

“You don’t like the book?” Elnor innocuously asked.

“I am sure it is entertaining,” she replied. “I have read a few from Jagger’s collection featuring this character, and they do have their charms, but it would have been nice to read one where the women do not all throw themselves upon Mr. Bond as if he possessed supernatural sexual powers or something."

“You possess supernatural sexual powers,” he pointed out, and she laughed again.

“Fair enough.”

“Do Jagger and the other males have the same effect on women as you have on men?” he asked.

"They do, but it is not as strong, and it has never been as much of an obstacle for them," she explained. "Historically, women have not been as sexually aggressive as men and Jagger, in particular, is not so much interested in conquests of that sort, as much as he just likes the attention. It took a very long time for human men to realize they were not entitled to a woman's body, so fortunately for me, I am much stronger than they are.”

“Nobody should ever feel entitled to someone else’s body,” he replied and squirmed uncomfortably as he recalled his experience with Salome.

“No, they should not,” she agreed as she nuzzled the top of his head.

“You were the one I was dreaming about that night,” he confessed. “I wished the dream was real, and that was when I realized I was in love with you.”

“I am sorry she ruined that dream for you,” Naseema said quietly.

“I never again want to feel the way she made me feel afterwards, but I don't know if I would have even had the dream in the first place without her, so I don't regret that part, and I feel the same as in my dream when I kiss you now. Salome can’t ever take that away from me,” he said.

“That is the lovely thing about good memories,” she told him. “They will always be with you for as long as you want to hold onto them." He opened his mouth to speak again, but a hard yawn escaped instead. "You must sleep soon, or you will be completely exhausted tomorrow,” she gently insisted. “If you rest your head in my lap, I will stroke your hair until you fall asleep.”

He nodded languidly and gave her a soft, sweet kiss before he repositioned himself. He slid the hem of her dress up past her knees as she loosened his hair from its fastening and combed her fingers through it. He let a contented sigh escape and stroked his hand lazily up and down her legs as he began to feel drowsy. “Your skin is even softer and more beautiful than in my dream,” he said before yawning again.

She laughed softly. “Dare I ask what I was doing in this dream to make you so happy?” She could feel a smile was spread across his face as he sighed with satisfaction again.

"Right now, I want to keep it only for myself, but someday I hope to tell you everything in that dream,” he replied. “However, I will admit you were naked, as was I."

“Was it your first sexual dream?” she asked.

“No, but it was the first one that was so vivid and felt so real,” he told her. “I hope I have another one tonight.”

“I hope so too, my love,” she said. “You should try to sleep now.” He squeezed her thigh tenderly in appreciation for her romantic epithet. Then she turned off the bedside lamp, so only the glow of the fireplace remained and continued to run her fingers over his head until he finally dropped off.

About an hour later, her door chimed, and when she beckoned the visitor inside, she was surprised to see Picard come through the door. He immediately noticed Elnor in the bed, head in her lap and hand on her leg. She saw Picard’s eyes widen before he quickly diverted them.

“You can relax, Jean-Luc, everybody has their clothes on,” she teased.

"I'm sorry to intrude at such a late hour, but I was hoping I could have a word with you," he replied. "Perhaps we should step out of the room?”

Naseema placed her padd on the nightstand. “I believe we will be alright here," she replied. "He is very tired, and I do not think he will awaken if that is what you are concerned about?"

He finally forced himself to make eye contact with her. “No, I suppose not, I just wanted to-to,” he said awkwardly.

“Oh, for crying out loud, come over here and sit on the bed already,” she said exasperatedly. “You are such a puritan. He is only sleeping, and everybody knows he is in here, so stop behaving as if it were some dirty secret.”

He chuckled at her chastisement and came over to sit near her feet. He folded his hands in his lap. “I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wasn't unaware that he's been regularly spending the night here. I just wasn't expecting you to be in bed with him, or for him to appear quite so... _comfortable_.”

“Would you have preferred broken furniture and noise complaints?” she asked with a saucy grin.

“No, I would not,” he replied with an exasperated sigh and a look that begged her to stop teasing him.

“You need not be so concerned, my lord,” she quipped, imitating his English accent. “The young master’s virtue remains intact.”

"That was far too much information, but thank you," Picard replied with a smirk.

She looked at the old man affectionately. “I still cannot help but give you a hard time about your Victorian sensibilities,” she replied. “Now, what is it you came to see me about at such a late hour? The servants’ tongues will wag should you be seen.”

“Alright, alright, point taken,” he acquiesced. “I suppose I’ll have to get used to that...and this." He motioned towards Elnor with one hand, and Naseema looked at him quizzically.

“Have you decided to extend your stay?” she asked.

"No, we will be leaving orbit in the morning, but I am hoping..." he paused and took a breath. "I'm asking you to join us."

“Is Mr. Rios alright with that?” she inquired as she raised an eyebrow.

“I believe he will be,” Picard replied.

“Have you not spoken to him about it?”

"I have, I've also discussed it with Jagger, Simon, Juliet, Aronnox, Alton, and Elnor, of course,” he replied and smiled awkwardly as her eyebrows climbed higher with each additional name. Then he sighed, and a compassionate expression took over his features. "I want to take you back to La Barre to live with me."

She straightened up in surprise. “Jean-Luc, I do not know if I can-”

“Please, hear me out,” he interrupted with a raised hand. “I can see how the last two decades have worn you down, Naseema. Everyone in this community cares about your well being, and we all believe you need to step away from this life for a while. It's time to stop focusing on duty and focus on yourself. You need to move on, and I honestly don't think you'll be able to do that here.”

She swallowed, and Picard knew she was about to argue with him. "Jean-Luc, I do not-"

He cut her off. “Come back to Earth with me. The vineyard is peaceful and quiet. I have several more books planned that I could use your help researching, and the village could use a music teacher.”

She stared at him with an amused expression. “Are you attempting to entice me with paperwork?”

“If not for me, then perhaps for Elnor?” he offered and glanced down at the sleeping form draped over her. “It would mean the world to him. He's already hopelessly in love with you, but he won't stay behind without me. Naseema, he’s been disappointed by me enough for one lifetime, please come with us.”

Her eyes started to glisten. "I am not unaware that the last twenty years have managed to consume most of the good left in me, and I am no longer the person you knew. Jagger has already tried to convince me I must go, but I am unsure if that is in anyone’s best interests. I am afraid I have finally become what everyone feared I already was.”

“A weapon with a pulse,” Picard said.

She nodded and looked down at Elnor. "I know he is in love with me, and as hard as I tried to fight it, I could not keep myself from falling in too. I want to honour the bond I formed, but I am dangerous and you were right, I am far too old for him. It would be better if he left tomorrow and forgot about me. He deserves someone his own age who can share his life with him in ways I will never be able to.”

Picard closed his eyes and sighed, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past two decades, it’s that Romulans let go of their feelings about as easily as the Feeonix do. I abandoned him for fourteen years, and even though he was rightfully angry with me, his loyalty never wavered in all that time. He won't be able to simply _move on_ , and I don't believe you've become so dangerous you can no longer be around others. I can see the effect he has on you. He tempers that side of you, and I dare say, he makes you happy. Why do you want to walk away from that?"

By now, she had tears running down her face. “I do not know, I just-I cannot-what if I lose him?”

He became Captain Picard again in that instant, knowing it was the only way she would listen to him. "I've never known you to let fear dictate your actions, Naseema, and I don't know why you seem to feel you don't deserve to be happy again, but you would be foolish to stay here and continue living in shadows. What Elnor needs is someone who can keep up with him, someone who can share their centuries of experience with him, and teach him things I will never be able to. He needs guidance and acceptance, and attention, and _affection_ , he needs you.”

The fact that he mirrored her own words back to her didn’t escape her. She wiped her tears and nodded as she pulled in a deep breath. “I know, Jean-Luc, but I am so afraid.”

“Then come home with us, let him temper those fears for you and help make an old man's last years memorable ones," he replied. "I don't expect an answer right now, but promise me you'll think about it."

She nodded again. “I will see you in the morning, Jean-Luc," she whispered and held out her hand to him. He accepted it and squeezed. "Just be aware that if I accept, I will still be a total pain in your ass,” she added.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he told her with a smile. He released her hand and stood up to leave, but as he reached the door, he turned to look at her again, his smile turning to a sly smirk. “I might not even complain when you inevitably break my furniture.”

“Of course you will,” she replied with a gentle laugh. “And you will always try to get the last word.”

He shook his head and chuckled as he went through the door but quickly turned before it closed. “I usually get it too.”


	13. The Gift

It was cloudy the following morning, and as soon as Elnor opened his eyes, he moved up the bed to rest his head on Naseema's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist and buried his face against her neck.

“Good morning,” she said brightly. “Did you have pleasant dreams?”

“I dreamed that you came with me today," he replied with a soft sigh. "It was a wonderful dream, but now it's morning, and I'm sad again because I know it wasn’t real.”

“Are you certain about that?” she asked. He bolted upright and looked at her.

His eyes searched her face for any hint of confirmation he could find. “If you are teasing me...” he warned, and she softened her expression as she touched his cheek with her hand.

“What does your heart tell you?” she asked and watched as the brilliant smile spread across his face.

“Really?!” he exclaimed, somewhere between a question and a declaration. “You are coming?!”

“You convinced me to last night, and Jagger did the same when I went to see him. Then, after you were asleep, Jean-Luc asked me himself," she confessed. "Elnor, I am sorry I was so difficult, and I upset you. I am still trying to put some things behind me, but I knew I would not be able to let you go. I just-I needed a little reassurance.”

He stared at her, almost not able to believe what he was hearing, but then abruptly grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. "I am so full of joy, I think I might burst apart,” he said when he released her.

“Please do not do that, it would be very messy,” she laughed as she hugged him tightly. “We should get out of bed as I have preparations I need to make before we leave."

He grabbed his clothes and practically skipped into the bathroom to get himself ready for the day. He th en helped her pack the large trunk she pulled out from some unknown hiding place. She made sure to stow his new books and his pajamas in among her things. She also replicated him another set of clothes to wear for training and his own yoga mat. Once they finished, she took a long look around the room. 

“I am going to miss my little sanctuary, especially my bathroom,” she said. “I am not fond of the utilitarian facilities aboard ships like Mr. Rios’.”

“Are you willing to trade it for me?” he asked with an adorably hopeful expression on his face.

“Yes, I am,” she replied and smiled at him. “I suspect your arms will be all the sanctuary I will need.”

“I like it when you tell me things like that,” he said as he hugged her again and placed a kiss on her forehead. Then he exhaled a happy sigh and took her hand. "Would you like to come with me to get breakfast?" he asked. She nodded, and they headed down to the cantina together. When they arrived, they found the rest of _La Sirena’s_ crew already there and Jagger handing out his parting gifts.

"Everything is personalized, and none of you are allowed to open them until you're on the ship," he told them all. "Elnor, here's yours and Naseema, light of my life, Simon is still finishing yours up, but he assured me that he'll have it ready by the time you leave."

“Jag, you did not have to-" she tried to say, but he shushed her.

"I know, I know," he replied. "But trust me, you won't be saying that when you open it. Just-ah-make sure you're alone when you do." Then he winked at her, and she rolled her eyes, knowing that his gift was likely going to be inappropriate in some way. Juliet approached her and leaned in close, keeping her voice quiet.

“Salome wants to see you before you go,” she said. “Aronnox told her this morning you were leaving indefinitely.”

Naseema sighed and nodded. “Thank you, Juliet.” Then she turned to Elnor. “I must go speak with her,” she told him. “You stay here and get yourself something to eat. I will hopefully return shortly.”

He took on a worried expression. “You’re still coming with me, right?”

"Yes, of course, I am. Do not be concerned about that. There are things we should say to each other before I leave," she said, but even though Elnor nodded, he still looked unconvinced. Naseema squeezed his hand to reassure him and then quietly slipped out of the room. After she was gone, Juliet turned her attention to Elnor.

“I have something for you,” she said. She stood in front of him and slipped a long silver chain with a small medallion hanging from it, around his neck. Surprised, he picked up the medallion and looked at it.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It is Saint Michael the Archangel,” she told him. “He is the patron saint of warriors and the almighty vanquisher of evil. Wear this near your heart, and he will protect you from harm." Elnor was so touched he didn’t know what to say. He looked at the medallion again, then threw his arms around Juliet and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“No, honey, _thank you_ ,” she replied. Jagger, who was watching from a few feet away, came over and put his hands on Elnor’s shoulders once he released Juliet.

“Juliet was a nun once, in a far away lifetime,” he said and turned to Juliet. “But you should have given him Saint Agnes.”

Juliet rolled her eyes, “Jagger.”

“Why?” Elnor asked. “Who is Saint Agnes?”

“The patron saint of virgins,” Jagger snickered.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Juliet asked as she shook her head at him, and then it was Elnor’s turn to roll his eyes.

“No, I really can't," Jagger replied, still smirking. Then he turned Elnor around, so he was facing him and pulled him into a heartfelt embrace. "You're always gonna be welcome here," he said as he started to tear up. "Anything you need, anywhere you are, at any time, you call, and I’m there for you. You saved my girl, and I'm never going to be able to repay you for that. Thank you, you skinny little, truth-spouting dork.”

“I love you too," Elnor said, and Jagger hugged him tighter as Simon came into the room and saw them.

“Aww, group hug!” he exclaimed and hurried over to sandwich Elnor between himself and Jagger as Juliet laughed.

***

As Naseema reached Salome’s door, she paused to steady herself before entering. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she exhaled.

_She didn't know what Salome wanted to say to her, but she knew she had nothing to say herself. She was still angry about what had happened to Elnor, and she didn't want to get worked up right before she was set to leave. At the same time, perhaps some things would come to her once she actually saw Salome, and now would be the time to say them since she didn't know how long she would be gone this time. It could be years, and where Jean-Luc Picard was involved, anything could happen. It was entirely possible she would never see Salome or even this planet ever again._

She released the force field and entered the room. Salome was sitting on her sofa in front of her fireplace, reading a book.

“Juliet mentioned you wanted to see me,” Naseema said. Salome tossed her book onto the sofa next to her and turned around.

"Are you going to come and sit down, or are you still too pissed at me for that?" she asked.

“I suppose I can sit,” Naseema replied and went over to the sofa. She sat on the opposite end, as far away from her counterpart as she could get. Her point was not lost on Salome, who sighed with mild exasperation.

“I hear you’re leaving today,” she said, somewhat venomously. “Going with your little Romulan boy toy.”

Naseema looked at her with antipathy and shook her head. “I think we are done here,” she said as she stood up.

“No! Wait!” Salome blurted. “I’m sorry! Elnor. I know his name is Elnor. I won’t call him anything else, please.”

Naseema paused and looked at her for a second but sat down again. "What is it you want, Salome?"

“I want you to take these memories back,” she said as a desperate look started to creep into her eyes. “I can’t get the images...or the feelings out of my head. You’ve made your point, alright? I can see what I did now, and I won’t ever do it again, believe me.”

“I do believe you,” Naseema replied. “But I am sorry, I cannot take them back. I know of no way to reverse what I-what I did to you.”

Salome was devastated by that information. “I can’t live with these memories in my brain.”

"Yes, you can," Naseema replied. "I do it every day, and so does Elnor." Then she sighed sadly. “The memories will fade over time, Salome, but they will never be completely gone. They will be with you for the rest of your life just as Elnor’s will be with him for the rest of his.”

"You could have just locked me up like you're doing now," Salome said, the resentment evident in her voice. "You didn't have to stick me with this. Do I deserve to be punished for the rest of my life?"

"I do not know," Naseema admitted. "But I did not know what else to do. You are going to live a very long time, and I had no other way to guarantee you would never do something like this again. Now, I am confident you will remember what it was to be in my position the next time somebody begs you not to rape them.”

“I didn’t rape him,” Salome muttered, still angry.

“Perhaps you were unable to achieve your ultimate goal, but believe me, it was rape, and the damage you did cause is more than sufficient,” Naseema told her. “Whether you _believe_ you did or not is irrelevant to me. You violated him. You turned something that should be beautiful and consensual into something terrifying. You made him afraid for his life, and he was not even so frightened when he was staring down the barrel of a prolonged, violent death at the hands of people who specialize in that sort of thing. What you have done will affect every relationship he ever has with anyone for the rest of his days. Do you not think you deserve a similar sentence?”

Salome stared at her bitterly. “You realize that by punishing me the way you did, you violated me.”

"Yes, I know, and that is something we will both have to live with,” Naseema replied. “I am sorry for that, but I am more sorry for what you did to Elnor. I honestly hope someday you will understand that just because you have our abilities, does not mean they should be used, especially against an innocent.”

“That is such bullshit,” Salome spat, her tone becoming more heated. "You didn't do this to me out of some righteous sense of justice you did it because it was _him_. You did it because _you_ wanted to fuck him!”

Naseema winced at her despicable words. “I am sorry you think that,” she said flatly and then stood up from the sofa again. “I am also sorry this is not going the way either of us hoped. You still believe you are the victim here, and I have nothing left to say to you." She headed for the door. Still fuming, Salome got up and followed her around the sofa.

“Bonding to him was pointless,” she sneered. “Elnor’s too afraid to be a man, and he's never going to let you fuck him." Naseema turned around to face her with a cold expression, and Salome smirked as she added, "especially now." She took a few more steps toward the older Feeonix and folded her arms across her chest. Naseema stared at her, and Salome's satisfied expression fell away as she saw the look in her eyes change from icy disdain to fiery wrath. She had no time to react before Naseema was on her. She grabbed Salome by the neck and threw her to the floor before pinning her down the same way as had been done to Elnor.

“I do not know where we went wrong with you,” Naseema seethed, her hand still around Salome’s throat. “But I refuse to believe we taught you to hate someone who has never done anything to you simply because they contain a certain genetic makeup. You are not the victim here. You were given the opportunity to atone, but instead, you chose to slap him and rub it in his face.” She brought her nose within inches of Salome’s as she continued. “I do not fucking care how angry you are about what I did to you. You are lucky I did not simply kill you as soon as I discovered what you did to him because believe me, I wanted to, and if I ever hear you say his name, and the word _fuck_ in the same sentence again, I will kill you.” She released her grip on Salome and straightened herself up. "I am going to do both of us a favour now. I am going to leave and take Elnor with me, and perhaps you will never have to see either of us again. Goodbye Salome.” Then she stood up and took one last scornful glance at her young counterpart before walking to the door.

“We're not finished!" Salome screamed, but Naseema ignored her and left the room. Once she was in the hallway, she took a deep breath and let the ruinous feeling completely have her. Her eyes filled up with sorrowful, angry tears and not wanting Salome to hear her crying she headed straight for the exit to the garden. She sat with her back against the retaining wall and let herself feel miserable for a while. That was where Jagger eventually found her.

He plunked himself down in the dirt next to her. “I take it your little convo with Salome didn’t turn out so hot, huh?”

“No, it did not,” she replied.

“Wanna talk about it?”

She let out a loud, frustrated sigh. “I honestly hoped she had seen the light and wanted to apologize. I am such an idiot.”

“I could have told you that wasn’t how it was going to go down,” Jagger said, a sympathetic look on his face. “So, what did happen?”

“She told me she learned her lesson and wanted me to take my memories out of her mind,” Naseema replied.

Jagger snorted. "Well, if that's what she expected to happen, then you're not the idiot."

“When I informed her I did not know how to reverse what I did, she became very bitter and resentful,” she continued. “We argued, and she tried to insist she was the victim, and then she said nasty things about Elnor, and I lost it."

“Shit,” Jagger said and curled his lip. “How bad?”

“I threw her to the floor and pinned her down,” Naseema told him. “I told her she was lucky I did not kill her when Elnor told me what she had done and then I told her if she ever said his name and the word _fuck_ in the same sentence to me again, I would kill her.”

“What did she say about him that set you off?” he asked.

“She told me bonding to him was pointless because he was too afraid of being a man to ever allow me to fuck him.”

Jagger laughed and shook his head. "She really has a way with words, doesn't she?"

Naseema sighed again. “I am not proud of myself, and she was not wrong,” she said. “Not concerning Elnor, but she also said that I violated her, and she is right, I did. In punishing her for her crime, I essentially committed the same crime against her. Perhaps, I did not physically attack her, but as far as her memory is concerned, she was attacked, and I am not sure my motives were entirely unbiased.”

“Well, I think it’s too late to question yourself now,” he said.

“I allowed my predator to win again," she admitted. "I should have left it with the rest of you, and I may have been able to do that if it had not been him. What did I actually end up teaching her? That what she did was wrong or that she should have thought twice about coming after what is mine?”

“Look, I get what you're saying, and maybe it went a little further than any of us intended, but I’m not sure we had much choice,” Jagger quietly reasoned. "When you have abilities like ours, and you live as long as we do, a conventional system of justice is almost useless. A life sentence by most standards is a joke to us. The only reason she's even still in her room is that she's cooperating with us. We can't hold her forever, and we don’t have the elders to solve our internal problems for us anymore, so we’re flying by the seat of our pants here. We can't guarantee she'll never do anything like it again, but the only way for us to even try is to make sure she knows what the receiving end feels like. We’re an ancient people, and unfortunately, maybe that means we anciently handle things. An eye for an eye.”

“So, you do not believe I crossed a line with her?” she asked.

Jagger let out a long, hard sigh and looked at the ground. “A line was definitely crossed, but it was one that had to be crossed, and I'm glad I'm not the one that had to do it." Then he turned his eyes to hers. "I'm sorry it had to be you."

“Perhaps it is a sign from the fates that leaving is the correct choice,” she lamented.

“That’s the spirit,” Jagger said and gave her a nudge with his elbow. “Think about the cute little rascal who wants to share his life with you.”

Naseema smiled affectionately at her friend. “Listen to you. I remember a time where you would have killed him the second you laid eyes on him.”

“Yeah, well, those were different times,” he said wistfully and took on a pensive look. “Jeez, I can’t even remember the last time I carried a weapon. Those were some crazy times we had. Remember Stalingrad? The Siege of Orleans?”

“Yeah, I remember,” she sighed. “I am still trying to forget Stalingrad, and I was burned at-the-stake two years after Orleans."

Jagger laughed out loud at the memory. “I forgot about that. How many times did that happen again?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Damn, girl, I was only ever almost beheaded one time.”

“That is because you are a man,” Naseema told him as she gave him a sideways look. “And you never stuck around long enough for the humans to realize they hated you.”

“That’s true,” Jagger agreed. “I never understood why you always tried to develop relationships with them.”

“I am not the only one. You have human friends now and have in the past. You just always seemed to be able to avoid scaring them enough to make them turn on you,” Naseema said.

Jagger shrugged. “I’ve always been willing to be chummy with them, sure, but I never wanted to be part of their community, not like you always seemed to,” he replied. “It never seemed to matter how many times they tried to drive you out, imprison you, or straight up kill you, you never gave up on them. It’s something I never understood about you.”

“I am not sure I understand it myself,” she admitted. “It certainly is not an aspect of my personality that has done me many favours in the past."

"Combine it with that famous temper of yours, and it's a winning combination," Jagger teased.

“Agreed,” she sighed with a nod.

"Your temper always came in handy on the battlefield, though," Jagger added. "Saved my ass more than once."

“Perhaps,” she sighed again. “I always enjoyed entertaining the humans more than killing them, though.”

“Yeah, me too. Plus, the drugs and alcohol were much better by then.”

Naseema punched him in the arm playfully. "Jean-Luc is right you are a degenerate," she laughed.

Jagger looked shocked. “He did not say that!”

“More than once,” she told him, still laughing. “But he loves you. You always get the job done.”

“I’m crushed.”

“I am so sure.”

The two life long friends sat there and reminisced about all the trouble they got into over the centuries until they both had tears of laughter streaming down their faces. When they finally decided they should head back inside, they saw Picard coming towards them.

“Are we holding up the parade, Admiral?” Jagger asked as he approached them.

“Not quite yet,” Picard replied with a smile. “But I do believe Mr. Rios is getting antsy to leave, and Elnor is looking for you, Naseema."

She smiled gently. “He is still not entirely convinced I mean to depart with you,” she nodded. “He is worried if he lets me out of his sight, I will disappear on him.”

"Yes, I've tried talking to him, but he isn't having it, I'm afraid," Picard said.

“Ah, young love,” Jagger joked.

“Well, I suppose we should go back inside,” she agreed. She turned to Jagger. “Are you going to join us?” He nodded and got to his feet before pulling Naseema to hers. The three of them took their time, leisurely strolled around the building, and entered the cantina through the back door.

Once they were inside, Jagger put his arm around Naseema's shoulders and directed her through the crowd towards Simon's office. As they walked in, Simon turned around, and a wide grin spread across his face.

"There you are," he said. "I have something for you, but don't open it until later, when you're alone." Then he handed her a small rectangular wooden box.

“What is it?” she asked.

“There’s a letter inside,” he replied. “It should explain everything.”

She looked at him sideways but nodded. “Alright, I must admit I am very curious now.”

Simon laid his hand on top of the box. “Promise you won’t open it until later.”

“I promise,” she told him and opened her arms to hug him tightly.

“I’m going to miss you,” he said and squeezed her hard.

“I will miss you, too.”

Simon let out a low, slightly rueful sounding sigh. "I guess it's time." They returned to the cantina, where Naseema approached Rios.

“I appreciate you allowing me to hitch a ride back to Earth, Mr. Rios,” she said as she extended her hand to him.

He accepted and smiled. “Think nothing of it.  _La Sirena_ is certainly no  _Enterprise_ , but I hope you'll be comfortable, regardless.”

“I am sure it is a fine ship, and I will find your accommodations more than adequate," she replied and returned his smile. Rios was still a little uneasy about her joining the voyage, but she knew he didn’t want to disappoint Picard or Elnor by refusing her passage, so she wanted to assuage his worries. “I promise I will be no trouble to you.”

Naseema then bid farewell to the rest of her Feeonix family, and without further delay, the departing group beamed off the mostly peaceful planet of Coppelius to the waiting ship. Once aboard, the group quickly prepared themselves to leave orbit, planning a quick pit stop in the Beta Quadrant to return Seven of Nine to Fenris before they headed home to the Terran system. In addition to the personal gifts, Jagger also included a couple of large crates that contained items for them to share on the journey. The first contained a television, identical to the one he had in his room, along with instructions on how to use it, and a note explaining that Rios should keep it aboard his ship once they returned home. The second crate elicited a great deal of excitement from the crew as it was filled right to the brim with books from Jagger's collection featuring a wide variety of genres. Agnes was particularly enthusiastic and grabbed an armful right off the top of the pile to hug them to her chest. She earned an amused smirk from Rios.

“I’m sorry!” she declared. “But space is so boring!”

As they entered warp travel and everyone began to relax and settle in, Elnor showed Naseema around the ship before insisting that she come to his cabin. Once there, he sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned her to sit next to him. "Thank you for coming," he said quietly, as she obliged him. "It fills me with joy to know you want to be with me.”

“You never need to thank me for that,” she replied. “I wanted to come and not just for you but myself as well. I need to be finished with living in nothing but shadows. You saved me, Elnor, not just on the Artifact but also the night we said goodbye to Data.” She looked at him with glistening eyes. “When you came to find me and stayed with me even though you were exhausted, you gave me back something I thought I would never have again. You gave me hope for the future, and no matter what happens with us, I will never forget that, or you.”

He smiled at her, a pure, joyous smile that made her insides melt and her heart ready to burst for him. She reached over and touched his face tenderly before inching herself closer to bring their lips together. His hands quickly found their way into her wild hair, and he kissed her with a passion that only a young man in love for the first time can draw into play.

“I can hardly wait to go to bed with you later," he said when they finally separated. "I used to hate going to sleep at night. I would lie awake with only my thoughts, and I always felt lonely and separated from everyone else, but now I think it’s my favourite time of day.”

“That makes me happy to hear,” she said and smiled at him. “I very much enjoy spending my nights with you as well.”

“Even though I’m asleep for most of it?” he asked.

“It has been a very long time since I have had someone who wishes to sleep next to me,” she replied. “I like to watch you sleep and know that you are there.” She placed her hand on his knee. "I am going to go get myself settled in, but I will see you in a little while." He smiled again and nodded before she got up and left the room. Then he opened the box Jagger gave him.

Hours later, Elnor waited until everyone else retired for the night, and the ship was dark and quiet before he crept across the corridor to Naseema’s cabin.

_He wasn't sure why he felt the need to keep up the appearance of platonic propriety. It wasn't as if his burgeoning romance was a very well kept secret, but he would admit he did get something of a thrill from sneaking across the hall to her room._

Once there, he quickly joined her in the bed and showed her what Jagger gave him. "I don't know what they are or what they're for," he admitted. He held up one of five star-shaped metal disks with razor-sharp points.

Naseema laughed and took the disk from him. “They are throwing stars.”

“Weapons?” he asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” she nodded, took aim at the wall and flicked her wrist, sending the star across the room where it dug in with a tiny _thunk_. Elnor's eyes lit up with delight, and he tried it himself. 

“These are great!” he declared as he got up to retrieve his new toys. Naseema smiled at his enthusiasm but cautioned him.

"Mr. Rios may not be happy if you continue to throw them at the walls."

“You’re probably right,” he agreed. “One more time.” He spun around and snapped his wrist. The star whizzed over Naseema's head and ruffled her hair gently before it sank into the wall.

“Please do not hit me in the face,” she warned, her eyes wide at how close he came to her.

He gave her a cocky look in response. “Of course I won’t,” he replied as he came over to retrieve his star. He gave her another saucy smirk, straddled her, and leaned in to pull it from the wall, his belly almost touching her face. He took his time on purpose, and she let out a snort of laughter at his obvious attempt to get her to put her hands on him. He laughed too until she swatted his backside and made him jump back in surprise.

“Hey!” he exclaimed as he looked at her with a wide-eyed, amused expression.

“You started it,” she reminded him and returned her eyes to her book. He playfully snatched it from her and tossed it over his shoulder. She dropped her hands to her lap and met his eyes. “I am starting to get the impression that you would like my attention,” she said with an arched eyebrow.

“What would give you that idea?" he asked with mock innocence. He was still straddling her, and he started to inch his way closer while she continued to stare into his eyes. When he got close enough, she grabbed his thigh suddenly and flipped him over onto his side of the bed. "I see how it is," he laughed and quickly recovered. He made a move for her, but she evaded him and jumped out of bed. He stood up on the mattress, towering over her, and took an attack posture with a frisky gleam in his eye. Giving him a look, she backed away and then turned and ran as he sprang off the bed at her. He easily caught her in the small room, lifted her, and pinned her against the wall. He pressed his hips against hers while he stifled her squeal with his lips.

“Shhh,” he laughed into her mouth. He carried her back to the bed to dump them both down in a heap where they continued to make out for a while, hands all over each other, and her legs wrapped around him. Once he slid his hand under her nightgown and started to fumble with her underwear, she knew they both needed to cool down.

“We cannot go any further,” she said as she put her hand on his. “I am sorry.”

He withdrew and sighed, “I know.” There was an expression of disappointed understanding on his face, and he knew she was right. “Can I still cuddle with you while I fall asleep?”

"Of course," she replied. After she retrieved her book from the floor, they reclaimed their respective positions on the bed, and she read to him until he was gently snoring next to her. She laid a tender kiss on his forehead and slid away to go to her trunk. She took out the box Simon gave her and sat on the end of the bed with it. She opened it, and inside was a hypospray vial with a folded letter on top. She set the box down and removed the letter. She almost couldn't believe what she was reading.

_Naseema,_

_We all agree you have earned a break. Take the next century off and don’t worry about us, we’ll be just fine. Go, share Elnor's life with him. We can all see how much he wants that and how badly you need it. Despite your bizarre attachment to those organic types, we want you to be happy again, and we know you deserve it. Enclosed with this letter is something Juliet and I have been working on for close to a decade. The serum contained in the vial is untested, but all my data says it should work as designed. It will suppress your energy field enough to eliminate the white flames from erupting during those inconvenient yet very desirable moments and will allow you to finally have uninhibited, fulfilling relationships with anyone you choose. We all agree Elnor seems like an excellent choice to begin that journey with. He possesses that one quality which has always managed to capture you, complete honesty. We can all see how loyal he is and how much you care for each other. Seriously, he’s a good catch, and you both deserve to have everything you desire from each other. However, I feel it is imperative that you carefully consider what I am about to tell you before you use my little cocktail. The serum will change your chemistry, and the effect will be permanent. You will never be able to summon up your fire again. You will retain your strength and agility, and the serum shouldn’t suppress your energy field altogether, but the flames will completely disappear. That has the potential to compromise your ability to protect yourself and others. You will only have your combat skills to rely on if you take this. Take some time to think about it before you act, and I don’t recommend involving anyone else in your decision, not even Elnor. You need to decide this for yourself. Unlike some of us, you are not defenceless without your fire, and sadly, I am fully aware that Elnor will not live forever. That eventually he will have to leave you to join Data and Nasir, but if you choose to follow the path I have presented to you, I believe it will allow you to move on more easily once the inevitable occurs, and to spend the rest of your life better able to enjoy the benefits of humanity the way you always dreamed. Your predator will be tamed, and you will no longer be a weapon for organics to use against each other. I know this is a lot to take in, but all I ask is that you take some time to really think about it._

_All my love,_

_Simon_

After reading Simon's words, she glanced behind her at the sweet, gentle young man asleep in her bed. There were so many thoughts racing through her mind, she wasn't able to focus on any one in particular. With both the box and the letter, she crept out of the room and went to the bridge of  _La Sirena_ . She sat in Rios' chair for a while and stared out at the blur of stars hurtling past the ship. 

_She was overwhelmed by the significance of what Simon offered her. A chance to have again, at least something close to, what she shared with Data. It was true, her heart wasn't glowing, but that suddenly didn’t seem to matter as much anymore. If she took the serum and it worked, she would be able to completely give herself to Elnor. She wouldn’t have to keep him and everyone else at a safe distance anymore. She wouldn’t have to keep fighting with the predator for control of her powers. She always accepted that things were simply the way they were, but now that they didn't have to be like that anymore, she felt a weight lift itself away from her. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet, but for the first time in her life, she felt free._

She slipped silently back into her cabin and buried the box at the bottom of her trunk. Then she took the letter and tucked it into a safe hiding spot before she climbed back into bed next to Elnor. She watched him sleep for a bit and gently stroked his hair as he stirred a little. He moved a touch closer to her and let out a quiet sigh as her fingers moved across his head. She finally picked up her book and opened it, although she couldn’t quite get herself to focus on the words she was reading. She was too busy imagining the life she could have if she were brave enough to take that first big step towards it.


End file.
